A Cinema Canon for the Ages

[oscar jubis]

Oops, Sorry Oscar

I shoulda put a smily face next to my correction. Emojis were invented for a reason. By the way, I want to mention a few titles that may continue to impress me and find their way into the list: Steve McQueen's "Small Axe" or more specifically two of the five episodes: "Mangrove" and "Lovers Rock", Paul Schrader's "First Reformed", Charlie Kaufman's "I'm Thinking of Ending Things", Eliza Hittman's "Never Rarely Sometimes Always", and Paul Thomas Anderson's "Phantom Thread". I'm not ready to say these are masterpieces, only that each is an absolute must-see (all in the English language, by the way)

[oscar jubis]

I don't think there's been much mention on FILMLEAF of Charlie Kaufman's I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, certainly not a review. This film is currently commanding a lot of my thinking about movies. Charlie Kaufman's conceits have paid off amply in the past, providing unique humanist perspectives. The wisdom and emotional power of films like ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and ADAPTATION is undeniable. I find that "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" may be just as wonderful an achievement as those older films but I will have to watch the film again to decide. I'm glad I don't have to write reviews on a deadline. Sometimes , these films that take a long time to figure out turn out to be the very best.
I am also admiring the Oscar winning best animated short of 2004: Chris Landreth's RYAN. It's a biopic of a famous Canadian animator famous in the 60s and 70s before a precipitous, substance-fueled decline into despondency. I love it enough to include on my list. It's very smart, spectacular from a purely pictorial perspective, and emotionally compelling; a combination of attributes that's just hard to find.