1973

Mean Streets Review

Mean Streets Review

RATING: (3.5 STARS) With Mean Streets, Martin Scorsese became a made man. The semi-autobiographical 1973 film unquestionably represents the director’s coming out party as a major talent, and it does so without even the slightest hint of the man abandoning the principles of his low-budget debut—Who’s That Knocking at My Door. Mean Streets is film […]

Badlands Review

Badlands Review

RATING: (2.5 STARS) Badlands is acclaimed director Terrence Malick’s first film, and it’s got most, if not all, of his trademarks—philosophical narration, long shots of the wilderness, a massive fire, and some good (but very restrained) performances. All that said, it feels like a second-rate Bonnie and Clyde. The characters have virtually no personality, which […]

The Day of the Jackal Review

The Day of the Jackal Review

RATING: (4 STARS) The Day of the Jackal reminds me why I love the spy genre. A brilliant cat-and-mouse game between two great minds, the film follows a terrorist on a quest to assassinate Charles de Gaulle and the cop in charge of the investigation. It’s a real slow-burn thriller, and director Fred Zinnemann’s cold […]