This week, on The Movie Gourmet – I’ve been deep into Slamdance, including Discovering new filmmakers at SLAMDANCE. More Slamdance coverage is coming on Monday, when I start rolling out full reviews of individual films and highlighting the ones available to stream at home on the Slamdance Channel.
I finally got around to watching one of this year’s nominees for the Best Picture Oscar, Wicked. I had put this off because I’m not a fan of musicals, and, sure as shootin’, The Wife had to keep prodding me awake. I do always enjoy and admire Cynthia Erivo, and she’s excellent in Wicked. What surprised me was how brilliant Ariana Grande’s performance was, not just in singing and dancing, but in demonstrating absolutely perfect comic timing. Because I live under a pop culture rock, I wasn’t familiar with Grande, who I have since come to appreciate as a smart and hilarious mimic. Anyway, I don’t generally enjoy musicals, and that’s still true, no matter how good the stars are. (And Emilia Perez isn’t on my top ten list, either.)
Note: I have finalized my list of Best Movies of 2024.
CURRENT MOVIES
- Anora: human spirit vs the oligarchs. In theaters and Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
- A Complete Unknown: a genius and his time. In theaters.
- The Last Showgirl: desperation amid the rhinestones. In theaters.
- The Brutalist: buffeted by fate, can his soul survive? In theaters.
- Hard Truths: trapped inside her own rage. In theaters.
- The Room Next Door: Tilda and Julianne, life and death. In theaters.
- All We Imagine as Light: three women and a society that’s not on their side In theaters.
- Conclave: explosive secrets? in the Vatican?. In theaters and Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
- A Real Pain: whose pain is it? In theaters and Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
- The Return: an ancient tale told thru a 21st Century lens. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
- Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl: another smart and charming romp. Netflix.
- Oh, Canada: deathbed confession and so what? In theaters.
- Queer: forty-five minutes of fine romantic drama, and then the bizarre. In theaters.
- Emilia Pérez: four women yearn amid Mexico’s drug violence. Netflix.
WATCH AT HOME
From my Best Movies of 2024:
- Anora: human spirit vs the oligarchs. In theaters and Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
- The Bikeriders: they ride, drink and fight, and yet we care. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
- Hit Man: who knew self-invention could be so fun? Netflix.
- Challengers: three people and their desire. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
- La Chimera: six genres for the price of one. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
- In the Summers: they mature, he evolves. Amazon.
- Ghostlight: a family saves itself, in iambic pentameter. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango (included).
- The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed: is she going to be a loser? Amazon, AppleTV, Hulu.
- Love Lies Bleeding: obsessions and impulses collide. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
- I Saw the TV Glow: brimming with originality. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
ON TV
On February 24, Turner Classic Movies airs one of the greatest political movies of all time – The Times of Harvey Milk, the documentary Oscar winner from 1984. It’s the real story behind the 2008 Sean Penn narrative Milk – and with the original witnesses. If you pay attention, The Times of Harvey Milk can teach you everything from how to win a local campaign to how to build a societal movement. One of the best political movies ever. And watch for the dog poop scene!