Best Movies by Farr

For Black History Month, 10 Key Films on the African-American Experience

With Martin Luther King's birthday just past us, and Black History month coming up, the time seems right to celebrate those invaluable films that shed light on the black community's long struggle for equal rights in this country.

Even for those of us who think we know the story well, it's one that always bears repeating, both for ourselves and our children, and an assortment of outstanding movies on DVD can help.

Until the early sixties, the portrayal of black characters in movies was confined to servants, porters, and other similar stereotypes. With too rare exceptions, only with the advent of the Civil Rights movement did the film industry wake up and begin to show black people as three-dimensional characters endowed with intelligence and pride.

The 10 key titles listed here, which combine documentary and narrative forms, bear authentic witness to the black experience, past and present, while lending crucial perspective on their courageous fight for the kind of freedom and opportunity that white people have always taken for granted.

A Raisin In The Sun (1961) -- Walter Lee Younger (Sidney Poitier) is a proud but frustrated young man counting on his recently widowed mother, Lena (Claudia McNeil), to let him invest her $10,000 life-insurance check in a business which could lift him and his family out of their dead-end existence. Despite her son's entreaties, Lena plans to buy a home and leave Chicago's South Side for good, stoking Walter's anguish and resentment. Based on Lorraine Hansberry's play, Daniel Petrie's magnificent A Raisin In The Sun provides an ideal star vehicle for young Poitier's explosive talent. The actor projects barely suppressed rage as he pleads with Claudia McNeil's resolute matriarch, who wants to use her money to buy a new home. Poitier's raw desperation is palpable as his one chance to better himself slips away. See this for Poitier's intense performance, and McNeil's equally powerful turn as his mother. Ruby Dee also scores as Ruth, Walter's long-suffering wife.

Nothing But A Man (1964) -- In this landmark independent film by Michael Roemer, Duff (Ivan Dixon), a struggling black railroad worker meets Josie (Lincoln), a shy, refined preacher's daughter. They fall in love, but soon Josie must adjust to Duff's frustration as he faces discrimination in a repetitive, dead-end job. How they surmount these obstacles and stay together shines a penetrating light on the black experience of the time. A lean film of unusual grace and power, thanks to a perceptive script and solid characterizations. Both Dixon and jazz singer Lincoln give heartfelt portrayals as Duff and Josie, and look for the late, great Julius Harris playing Duff's drunk, delinquent father. Nothing is an inspiring work of cinema that helped fuel the Civil Rights era, and still speaks volumes today.

The Autobiography Of Miss Jane Pittman (1974) -- Originally a TV movie, "Pittman" traces the life of the title character from a childhood in slavery all the way through to the civil-rights movement. The film begins in 1962 as an aged Pittman is visited in her Baton Rouge home by journalist Quentin Lerner (Michael Murphy), who, vetting material for a book, prompts her recall of events both tragic and inspiring. The gifted Cicely Tyson is a marvel as Jane, gradually transforming from a young girl to a wizened but still spirited lady of 100+ years. A revealing history lesson and tribute to the sturdy spirit of one human being who endured through periods of vast change, this important and touching film feeds both brain and heart. Widely recognized as a creative milestone in television programming, Pittman makes for ideal family viewing.

Killer Of Sheep (1977) -- Living hand to mouth in the Watts section of Los Angeles, Stan (Henry Gayle Sanders) toils at a slaughterhouse, where the dispiriting, mind-numbing routine of dispatching livestock leaves him emotionally remote from his wife (Kaycee Moore) and young son. Under these circumstances, life's pleasures come in small and unexpected ways. New to DVD, Charles Burnett's tender, affecting film, a landmark in American independent cinema, hasn't much of a plot, content instead to observe the melancholic daily existence of an impoverished African-American neighborhood. But its neorealist aesthetic, lugubrious pace, and minimal storyline are the ingredients for a surprisingly moving film that depicts ghetto life with lasting beauty and an authentic sense of humanity. Both touching and heartbreaking, with a sweet jazz score setting a mood of inner yearning, the under-exposed Killer of Sheep should be at the top of your must-see list.

Say Amen, Somebody (1982) -- The unparalleled joy and healing power of gospel music is brought to life in this uplifting documentary. Part-history lesson, part-revival meeting, the movie not only stresses the importance of this musical form in people's spiritual lives, but also allows us to see its transforming effect in the here and now. Regardless of anyone's race or creed, this entry provides rare nourishment for the soul, as we listen to its infectious practitioners, both young and old. Especially poignant are the respective presences of "Professor" Thomas Dorsey, then over eighty, and "Mother" Willie May Ford Smith, a hearty seventy-nine. With its message of love and hope made contagious, Director George Nierenberg fashions a touchingly human and inspiring portrait that translates how this special music has sustained (mainly) African-American people through adversity for so long. A humbling and glorious achievement.

Eyes On The Prize (1987) -- This six-episode PBS miniseries provides an in-depth look at the American Civil Rights movement, covering the storied struggles during the insurgent years from 1954-1965, and culminating in the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Interviews with participants both legendary and obscure are interwoven with now iconic archival footage to provide a full picture of the fight. We revisit the marches, bus boycotts, and the tortuous path to school integration, and hear the inspiring words of Martin Luther King Jr. ring out once again across the decades. This justly lauded Emmy winner is the definitive document for anyone wishing to fully understand this tumultuous moment in history, and that should be most everyone. Its detailed, rigorous recounting of a seminal period in American history covers topics and events often glossed over in history class, such as the Emmett Till murder trial and how race played a role at the contentious 1964 Democratic Convention. It also does full justice to the legacy of spiritual leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, whose proud defiance sparked a movement. Perhaps most important, Eyes gives voice to the average citizens who participated -- those who helped changed history, but never received recognition for it. We should all prize -- and watch -- this landmark work of remembrance.

Glory (1989) -- This is the true story of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick), son of Massachusetts abolitionists, who's appointed to lead the first black regiment for the Union in the Civil War. Before this group is able to prove their mettle in battle, Shaw must fight injustice within the Union hierarchy, as superior officers doubt the regiment's ability to fight and seem unwilling (at first) to even equip them properly. Ultimately, Shaw's faith in his men is borne out heroically. Edward Zwick's vivid Civil War epic boasts terrific battle sequences, but aside from the story's inherent fascination, what sets this movie apart is the incredible acting glimpsed in between the gunfire. Broderick brings to Shaw a nuanced mix of determination and vulnerability, but Denzel Washington virtually steals the picture as a defiant enlisted man. (He won an Oscar for this.) Morgan Freeman also shines as a wise, seasoned regimental sergeant. Glory delivers both rousing entertainment and a vital history lesson, in one winning package.

Malcolm X (1992) -- Ambitious film chronicles the remarkable life of murdered civil-rights leader Malcolm X (Denzel Washington), born Malcolm Little, from his early years in a Harlem gang to his religious conversion during a stint in prison, marriage to Betty Shabazz (Angela Bassett), and eventual rise to fame as a controversial orator and spokesman for the Nation of Islam, led by Elijah Muhammad (Al Freeman Jr.). A life-changing pilgrimage to Mecca, however, not only upends Malcolm's radical views of race, but tragically puts him on the outs with his mentor. Built around a commanding performance by star Washington, Spike Lee's Malcolm X is the writer-director's most ambitious, impassioned film to date, as it presents a turbulent and eventful life filled with self-transformation. The Oscar-nominated Washington never lets you forget his hero's fiery charisma, the emotional impact and candor of his speeches, or the resentment he faced from both sides of the racial divide. With a top-notch cast, and Ernest Dickerson's fluid camerawork creating immediacy, Malcolm X bristles with energy and impact.

4 Little Girls (1997) -- Spike Lee's documentary revisits a shocking crime that shook the nation in 1963, when a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama was blown up, killing four African-American girls. The film combines reminiscences of the girls' families and friends with observations on the times and the event's broader significance within the Civil Rights movement. Girls may be heartbreaking to watch, but it's also essential viewing, as director Lee revisits an atrocity we should never forget. The overwhelming sense of personal loss and moral outrage is palpable. It's also striking how this unthinkable tragedy accelerated the progress of civil rights, with the barbarity of the southern segregationists' act thrusting the race issue right to the front of the world stage. Ultimately, these four promising, innocent girls are seen as martyrs to the age-old struggle for racial equality. Don't miss this touching, insightful film.

Freedom Riders (2010) -- During the turbulent Civil Rights era, over 400 men and women, black and white, challenged segregation laws by riding buses together into the Deep South. As a result of this non-violent act, these activists endured beatings, tear gas, and imprisonment. Based on the acclaimed book by Raymond Arsenault, Riders brings together interviews with the participants themselves, as well as journalists, government officials, and other first-hand witnesses. The result is a vivid account of a gallant struggle against racial injustice. While most Americans have doubtless heard of the Freedom Riders, this meticulously researched work, presented by the acclaimed PBS series American Experience, provides a level of immediacy and detail that brings the whole period back into vivid focus. Nominated for three Emmys, the film is a superb technical achievement, but more than anything else, its story of ordinary citizens taking extraordinary risks for the noblest of ideals is both affecting and profoundly humbling. This fascinating, inspirational chapter in our country's history should be required viewing for all thoughtful people, young and old.

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For His Upcoming Birthday, the Top Ten Cary Grant Movies by Farr

Next week marks the 108th anniversary of Cary Grant's birth.

Have people forgotten Cary Grant? He's been gone a quarter of a century now, and his last movie was made forty-five years ago.

Personally, I don't believe so. He was too good, too much of an original to fade away from our collective consciousness.

What made him so special?

For one thing, he managed to appeal in equal measure to both men and women: women for all the evident reasons, men because he flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Though possessed of an almost feminine beauty and grace, he still managed to project masculinity, brains, and most importantly, humor.

When an interviewer gushed to the star that everyone wanted to be Cary Grant, he famously replied, "So would I." This seemingly off-hand remark spoke volumes, for the Cary Grant persona was painstakingly developed and refined by a mortal man with his own fair share of foibles, fears and weaknesses.

It's easy to forget (if you even knew in the first place) that this personification of suave elegance endured a miserable lower middle class upbringing in Bristol, England as Archie Leach, the son of a mentally unstable mother and a father who first had his wife committed and then deserted the family.

Archie found salvation -- literally -- by joining the circus, where his natural athleticism made him a skilled tumbler and acrobat. A first tantalizing taste of performing before crowds would eventually lead him to the stage, and eventually, Hollywood.

As great as he was, in his time people sensed he was always playing Cary Grant, and for this he was marginalized slightly, never winning an Oscar over a thirty-five year career.

Of course, Oscar has most always lacked a funny bone, so humorous films have often received short shrift in the nominations. This is, of course, ridiculous, since comedies are the most difficult form to bring off successfully.

As to Grant not winning an Oscar, the sheer talent it took to play Cary Grant -- particularly in his great comedies -- cannot be underestimated; the plain truth is that he was totally unique.

How could anyone so perfect -- with full ten ratings on looks, style, and charm -- also be so approachable? Though blessed with a virtually flawless appearance, he was never arrogant or remote. His innate decency and charm always managed to penetrate the surface gloss. That's why we loved him.

The following ten films represent my top ten "desert island" Cary Grant picks. In anticipation of sampling some of these ageless features, let's wish Archie Leach a happy birthday, and thank him profusely for giving us Cary Grant, a character who will remain forever young, vital and real.

Topper (1937) -- George and Marion Kirby (Grant and Constance Bennett) have it all: they're rich, attractive and glamorous -- that is, until they're killed when driving their roadster too fast. Now bona-fide ghosts, the couple have one final errand to do before going to their eternal rest: help their stifled, hen-pecked banker Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) get more out of life -- while he's still living! This uproarious comedy was another step to super-stardom for Cary, who first showed his comic chops here. Bennett (older sister of Joan) is the essence of high-toned beauty as wife Marion. Young is also memorable as the put-upon Cosmo, a man who must cope not only with a rigid, controlling wife (Billie Burke) but a couple of goofy, upper crust specters who keep turning his well-ordered world upside down.

The Awful Truth(1937) -- Grant and the sublime Irene Dunne play Jerry and Lucy Warriner, a wealthy young couple who temporarily drift apart and impulsively initiate divorce proceedings. Both are unwilling to admit the obvious fact that they're still in love. Their eventual rapprochement becomes one delightful, hilarious dance. Director Leo McCarey was a genius with comedy, and this consistently sharp, side-splitting picture proves it. When Lucy starts an ill-advised rebound relationship with a rich oil rube from Oklahoma (wonderfully played by Ralph Bellamy) Jerry starts popping in even more often to embarrass his former spouse. Predictably, a good bit of the time he ends up embarrassing himself. This underexposed classic hasn't aged a day since its release.

Bringing Up Baby (1938) -- Paleontologist David Huxley (Grant) leads a quiet, studious life. Then, quite by accident he runs into daffy heiress Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn) who quickly takes a shine to the handsome, bespectacled scientist. Used to getting what she wants, Susan simply won't let David go. Before long, Huxley's life gets turned upside down, as Susan kidnaps him to her starchy aunt's Connecticut estate, along with her explorer brother's recently arrived present, a tame leopard called "Baby." The mayhem escalates from there. Howard Hawks's quintessential screwball outing remains one of our most riotous and inspired screen comedies. Grant and Hepburn are in fabulous form, with Grant wholly convincing as the nerdy, befuddled victim, and Kate on fire as a flaky but determined lass who's finally found true love, and intends to hold on, come what may.

Only Angels Have Wings (1939) -- The riveting Angel centers on one Geoff Carter (Grant) operator of an airfreight service in South America's fog-enshrouded Andes Mountains. Often confronting treacherous flying conditions, Geoff must make life-or-death decisions about when his men can fly. Further complicating life on the ground is the arrival of Bonnie Lee (Jean Arthur) a showgirl in transit who's socked in by weather, and Macpherson (Richard Barthelmess) a pilot harboring a dark secret. Macpherson is also joined by his young wife Judy (Rita Hayworth) who, it turns out, had once been involved with Geoff. The plot thickens along with the fog. Elements of drama and romance comingle with the serious business of men being men in this involving, exciting adventure story. Grant stretches his screen persona effortlessly as a tough guy with little humor and no polish, and Arthur makes a spunky love interest. Young Hayworth is also stunning in a breakthrough role.

His Girl Friday (1940) -- Sneaky, slimy newspaper editor Walter Burns (Grant) will do anything to prevent his best reporter Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) from leaving the paper for a dull marriage to the chronically normal Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy). As fate would have it, the year's biggest story is breaking, as a condemned killer breaks out of jail, and even Hildy can't resist the lure of the scoop. Will Walter's nefarious scheming prevent Hildy from reaching the altar? Director Howard Hawks teams with Grant again to create what may be the fastest film comedy ever. A remake of The Front Page, this version's inspired plot twist is that Hildy is a female reporter, formerly wed to loveable scoundrel Burns. The conceit works, as underneath Walter and Hildy's scathing, rapid-fire repartee we sense a strong (though somewhat twisted) animal attraction. Both Grant and Russell are in top form, and all we have to do is keep up with them. A rip-roaring good time, from start to finish.

The Philadelphia Story (1940) -- Haughty Philadelphia socialite Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) is engaged to marry self-made, upstanding George Kittredge (John Howard) after divorcing her wealthy, careless first spouse, C.K. Dexter-Haven (Grant). C.K shows up for the event with no hard feelings, along with society reporter/frustrated novelist Macaulay "Mike" Connor (James Stewart) and photographer Liz Imbrie (Ruth Hussey). What transpires next is a peerless comedy of errors, where, thankfully, everything comes out right in the end. George Cukor's pitch-perfect adaptation of Philip Barry's hit play marked a triumphant Hollywood comeback for Kate (having earlier been labeled "box-office poison" by exhibitors) and an Oscar-winning vehicle for up-and-coming star James Stewart, wonderful as a fish out of water in high society. Though overlooked by the Academy, Grant is every bit as good as the raffish C.K., while Hepburn shines in what may be her signature role. Don't miss Roland Young's hilarious turn as naughty Uncle Willie. Sly and sophisticated, this title stands as one of our finest screen comedies.

Notorious (1946) -- American intelligence officers tracking Nazis in post-war South America coerce Alicia Hubermann (Ingrid Bergman) daughter of an executed Nazi spy, to use her feminine wiles to implicate more of her father's colleagues, including one Alex Sebastian (Claude Rains). Before the assignment is disclosed; however, American agent Devlin (Grant) and Alicia have already begun a passionate romance, complicating matters going forward. Notorious still delivers outstanding suspense, with director Alfred Hitchcock at his most subtle. The story of a fallen woman-first redeemed by love, then put in peril is gripping throughout, and stars Grant and Bergman emit powerful on-screen chemistry. Acting laurels also go to supporting player Rains, who's never been slimier than here, playing a Nazi agent. But then, just look at his friends -- and that mother!

To Catch A Thief (1955) -- On the sun-drenched French Riviera, someone is relieving rich women of their precious jewels, and all the evidence points to retired cat burglar John Robie (Grant). Reluctant to sit still for questioning, "The Cat" evades investigators who show up at his luxe villa and -- with the help of London insurer H.H. Hughson (John Williams) -- cozies up to wealthy American widow Mrs. Stevens (Jesse Royce Landis) who he believes may be the thief's next victim. Robie's only hope for clearing himself will be to expose his imitator, that is if Mrs. Stevens' knockout daughter Francie (Grace Kelly) doesn't distract him too much! Filmed in VistaVision by Oscar winner Robert Burks, Alfred Hitchcock's swanky, breezy suspense film takes a simple idea -- one cat burglar on the tail of another -- and spins it into cinematic gold. With his customary wit and sexual innuendo, the director positions tanned star Grant on a collision course with the resplendent Kelly, who never looked more ravishing as spoiled heiress Francie, especially in a wide-brimmed white sun hat and bathing outfit Jackie O might have coveted. When they kiss, there are literally fireworks on-screen, a technique Hitch used to keep the censors from snipping his film. You'll have a lot of fun catching this "Thief."

North By Northwest (1959) -- By chance, martini-swilling ad man Roger Thornhill (Grant) is mistaken for a top spy, and set up for murder. He then finds himself in the unfamiliar position of fugitive, crisscrossing the country in search of the real culprit, his only chance of survival. Along the way, he meet the beautiful but mysterious Eve Kendall (Eva Marie-Saint) who wants to help him. But is she who or what she seems? Fifty years after release, Northwest still provides kinetic, colorful entertainment for the whole family, full of director Hitchcock's trademark twists and turns. Only Cary could undertake such a rugged and dangerous journey and keep looking marvelous with no change of clothes. Marie-Saint is appropriately enigmatic and alluring as the icy blonde who may or may not be in his corner. James Mason's treacherous turn as cold-blooded enemy agent Philip Vandamm also stays etched in your memory.

Charade (1963) -- Parisian Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) knew she had marital problems, but when her errant husband gets mysteriously killed, she finds being a widow even more troublesome. It seems her spouse was involved in hijacking some significant loot during the war, and now some of his past comrades want to know where the money went. H. Bartholemew (Walter Matthau) is the government agent also interested in the case, and suave Peter Joshua (Grant) the gallant older man who serves as Regina's protector. But is Peter really on Regina's side? This Hitchcock homage provides a last glimpse of Cary as leading man. At sixty, the actor still brings off his trademark persona superbly. Hepburn is also in top form as the put upon damsel in distress. Deftly combining mystery, romance, and humor, director Stanley Donen creates a chic, sophisticated mood via gorgeous Paris locations and a smooth Henry Mancini score. The supporting cast shines as well, with James Coburn and George Kennedy standing out among the heavies. As top-drawer entertainment, Charade is the real thing.

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Actor's Actor: Birthday Salute to Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall, one of our finest living screen actors, turns 81 tomorrow.

Born to a career military officer from Virginia and his wife, an amateur actress and descendant of General Robert E. Lee, Duvall's childhood was peripatetic, as his father was transferred frequently to various bases around the country.

(The military bearing Duvall absorbed from his father would later come in handy as he played officers several times in his career, notably in 1979's "The Great Santini" and "Apocalypse Now". He'd even portray his own ancestor, Robert E. Lee, in 2003's "Gods and Generals".)

In the mid-fifties, after a stint in the Army, young Duvall ended up in New York City, studying acting under the legendary Sanford Meisner.

In those uncertain salad days, Duvall roomed with fellow actor Dustin Hoffman, and counted another struggling thespian named Gene Hackman among his good friends.

One day Meisner decided Duvall might be just right for a play written by a young dramatist from Texas named Horton Foote. That idea would change Duvall's life, as it would be Foote who suggested casting him in his first important screen role several years later.

The film was "To Kill A Mockingbird" (1962), which Foote adapted from Harper Lee's bestselling book. This would not be the last collaboration between the two men.

Balding, fairly short and lacking traditional leading man looks, it would take Duvall several more years to really break through in the movies (for instance, he has just a minute or two of screen time as a cabbie in 1968's "Bullitt"). Still, all the while he was making a name for himself, both on stage and television.

It was that all-too-brief golden age of Hollywood film in the early- mid 1970s that finally put him over-the-top in feature films.

Little-known fact: Duvall has appeared in more films ranked in the AFI's top 100 list than any other actor: six to be exact, five of them made in the seventies. (James Stewart and Robert De Niro are close runners-up, with five films apiece).

Duvall counts himself a staunch Republican, and owns a large spread in Virginia. Three times divorced, he is now married to a woman half his age. He also maintains a home in Buenos Aires, which makes sense, since he's fluent in Spanish, and loves the tango.

A consummate character actor, Duvall has not only stayed busy but maintained the quality of films he's done over the years. Professionally, he's proven himself to be as savvy and disciplined as he is talented.

He can look back with pride on a rich and colorful life, and his contributions to film should never be underestimated, as the following ten titles demonstrate.

M*A*S*H (1970)- Robert Altman's black comedy details the shenanigans of Hawkeye Pierce (Donald Sutherland), Trapper John McIntyre (Elliott Gould), and Duke Forrest (Tom Skerritt), three rogue surgeons assigned to a mobile army surgical hospital during the Korean War. Their various hijinks, infractions, and practical jokes cause havoc wherever they go, but also serve to distract them from the bloody horror they face in the operating room each day. This groundbreaking anti-war entry was director Altman's breakthrough, and in our view still stands as his finest, purest work: an uproarious, razor-sharp satire that feels as fresh and irreverent today as when first released. (Note the extensive use of overlapping dialogue, which was considered quite an innovation at the time). The film features top-notch performances, with Gould and Kellerman standouts as, respectively, Trapper John and "Hot Lips" Houlihan. Also look for Duvall playing stuck-up surgeon Frank Burns. Ring Lardner Jr.'s script took home an Oscar- and no wonder. Remember: "Suicide is painless"!

The Godfather (1972)- This stunning, often brutal film portrays the last days in the reign of aging Mafia patriarch Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), and the gradual transformation of his youngest (and favorite) son, Michael (Al Pacino), a decorated war veteran in 1940s New York who at first has no intention of joining the family business. But after Don Vito is shot by a rival who wants to move heroin through his turf, Michael elects to seek vengeance, and is then forced to hide out in Sicily. It's only a matter of time before Michael returns to inherit the mantle from his beloved father, who has recuperated somewhat but is permanently weakened and ready to retire. Long before "The Sopranos," a young Francis Ford Coppola transformed our understanding of the relationship between organized crime and corporate American profiteering with this operatic ode based on Mario Puzo's acclaimed novel. Moody and violent, "Godfather" combines a bullets-blazing mobster film with a gripping family saga. And what a cast: Pacino, Duvall, James Caan, and Diane Keaton are all superlative. Brando, of course, reaffirmed his own exalted place in cinema with his stunning portrayal of the title character. Coppola fought with Paramount to achieve his personal vision, but ultimately triumphed, winning the 1972 Oscar for Best Picture.

Tomorrow (1972)- In early twentieth century Mississippi, solitary, soft-spoken cotton farmer Jackson Fentry (Duvall) takes a job working as the winter custodian of a broken-down sawmill. When he finds a pregnant woman named Sarah Eubanks (Olga Bellin) wandering the property, he soon learns that her husband and family have abandoned her. Fentry takes her in, becoming her caretaker. Eventually, a tender bond develops between them. But just as the two finally marry and Fentry vows to raise her child as his adopted son, tragedy strikes. This spare, sad tale of two lonely souls finding each other all too briefly was based on a William Faulkner short story that was then adapted by frequent Duvall collaborator Horton Foote. Director Joseph Anthony handles the material with restraint and sensitivity, opening the film with a tense courtroom scene that triggers a flashback revealing Fentry's tale of woe. Quiet but intensely watchable, and sporting a thick accent that seems to have inspired Billy Bob Thornton's "Sling Blade" character, Duvall solidly anchors this heartbreaking film, which deserves a wider audience.

The Godfather, Part II (1974)-Director Coppola continues the rich saga of the Corleone crime family both by looking back and forward: the film at one traces the early life of Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro), from his arrival in America as a boy, to his ruthless ascent to power in the underworld of the early twentieth century. It also charts the life and career of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as his father's successor nearly half a century later, ruling his family in turbulent times. Michael becomes increasingly isolated in the process, losing the love of wife Kay (Diane Keaton), and the steadying influence of his father's consigliere, Tom Hayden (Duvall). One of the rare sequels that equals if not exceeds its distinguished predecessor, "The Godfather- Part 2" stands as a work of enduring cinematic brilliance. Coppola skillfully interweaves two fascinating periods in history: the actual birth of organized crime as immigrants swelled our shores in the early 1900s, and the challenging period of the 1950s, when the Mafia became too big and prosperous not to be noticed. Both these periods are evoked superbly via first-rate cinematography, costumes and set design. Script and performances excel- in short, everything works. The film won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Supporting Actor for De Niro (Pacino was also nominated). A triumph for the ages.

Network (1976)- Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) is a type A network television executive who rides the wave of an unfolding ratings sensation broadcasting deranged televangelist Howard Beale (Peter Finch, in his final performance). Unexpectedly, Beale has hit a chord with disillusioned Americans, urging them to chant his mantra: "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore." But the Beale phenomenon may not last, as Howard's ever more bizarre rants signal an emotional breakdown in the offering. Sidney Lumet's devastating, disturbing satire of the modern broadcast age (written by Paddy Chayefsky) still has a lot to say thirty-five years after release. Beyond portraying a business that bypasses quality in single-minded pursuit of the dollar, television serves as metaphor for a society mired in sensationalism and greed. Dunaway is commanding in a caffeinated performance as ruthless Diana, William Holden unusually affecting as a washed-up veteran of TV's glory days, and Finch a revelation as the unbalanced Beale, winning a posthumous Oscar for his work. Duvall holds his own in very good company as Diana's network boss, who's trying hard not to go crazy himself. A must-see film.

Apocalypse Now Redux (1979)- During the Vietnam War, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is given the unusual assignment of tracking down and eliminating rogue Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a decorated career officer who has broken the chain of command and is presumed insane. Willard and his team venture into remote territory to find the enigmatic Kurtz. Symbolically, they're all traveling to the very core of man's bestial instincts. Will the young Captain succeed in his mission, or go mad in the attempt? Director Francis Ford Coppola's re-edited "Redux" version includes new scenes that help clarify some loose ends in the original cut of this acknowledged masterpiece. "Apocalypse" stands as a wildly ambitious, mesmerizing acid-trip of a war movie that melds together the savage themes of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" (on which it's based) with the inherent waste of Vietnam. The final result is grand spectacle, augmented by a brilliant use of music. The key performances-from Sheen, an Oscar-nominated Duvall, and a gonzo Dennis Hopper in particular-achieve a rare intensity, and even Brando- bald, bloated, and incoherent- manages to fascinate. Once seen, never forgotten. Suggestion: for the ideal double feature, follow this with (Francis's wife) Eleanor Coppola's revealing documentary on the jinxed production of this film, "Hearts Of Darkness" (1991).

Tender Mercies (1983)- Mac Sledge (Duvall), once a successful country music balladeer, has a severe drinking problem that has caused him to hit bottom. Mac quickly realizes that when there is nowhere deeper to sink, you either die or climb back up into the world. With the help of gentle widow Rosa Lee (Tess Harper) and her young boy, Sonny (Alan Hubbard), Mac gradually finds the strength to reclaim his life. This unadorned gem, beautifully realized by Australian director Bruce Beresford from Horton Foote's brilliant, Academy Award winning script, represents a career peak for Duvall. His bravura performance won him that year's Best Actor Oscar- and he even got to sing in this film. Also look for fine supporting turns from Wilford Brimley, Betty Buckley, and a young Ellen Barkin. (Trivia note: coincidentally, screenwriter Foote had also won the Screenplay Oscar for Duvall's first film twenty years earlier, "To Kill A Mockingbird").

The Apostle (1997)- After discovering that his wife Jessie (Farrah Fawcett) is having an affair with younger minister Horace (Todd Allen), devout Pentecostal preacher Sonny Dewey (Duvall), a father of two young children, loses his wits and attacks the man with a bat, sending him into a coma. Fleeing Texas, Sonny assumes a new identity in Louisiana, opens a church, and revitalizes the faith of mostly black locals with his spirited, inspirational sermons. But Sonny's past sins aren't so easily washed away. Duvall wrote, directed, and starred in this stirring evangelical drama about faith, personal passion, and moral responsibility, a pet project he spent over a decade bringing to the big screen. The actor is nothing less than sensational in an Oscar-nominated turn as Dewey, a pious yet deeply conflicted man whose belief in salvation is never in question. Excellent performances by Fawcett, Miranda Richardson, and Billy Bob Thornton as a bayou racist tweak the picture, but Duvall throws himself into the marquee role heart and soul. "The Apostle" will make a believer out of you.

A Civil Action (1998)- This fact-based film tells the story of Jan Schlictmann (John Travolta), a personal-injury attorney who pursues a negligence suit against corporate titans W.R Grace and Beatrice Foods. The companies have a joint interest in a leather-production facility in Woburn, Massachusetts, whose illegal dumping of toxic waste may have led to the deaths of several local children. Anne Anderson (Kathleen Quinlan), the mother of one victim, decides to sue. As Jan immerses himself in this high-stakes battle, he wagers everything he has on a positive outcome, but his opposing counsel, Jerome Facher (Duvall), is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant, ruthless legal minds around. Is Jan in over his head? Produced by Robert Redford and based on the best-selling book by Jonathan Harr, this gripping, literate enviro-action legal drama is the classic David and Goliath story - the little people versus big industry - told with gusto and in a decidedly unpredictable fashion. "Action" features a stellar cast, notably John Lithgow as the trial judge, and an Oscar-nominated Duvall as Facher. William H. Macy also distinguishes himself playing Jan's understandably anxious accountant. It may sound dry as paper, but this absorbing courtroom drama grabs you by the throat and never lets go.

Crazy Heart (2009)- Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a country singer/songwriter well past his prime and with a drinking problem, reduced to eking out a living playing small venues. Then a tentative romance with female reporter Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and an unexpected reunion with country music megastar Tommy Sweet (Farrell), who was coming up when Bad was still riding high, inspire the older man both to write again and address his personal demons. Will Bad make a comeback-and find love in the process? First and foremost, "Crazy Heart" serves as a fabulous showcase for star Bridges, who snagged a well-deserved Oscar for his portrayal of a broken-down man who suddenly finds reason to seek redemption. Gyllenhaal is also appealing as the love interest, but it's the mellowing Duvall who gives the film extra ballast and seasoning playing Wayne, the true-blue friend who helps Bad get clean and sober. (Duvall also produced this film, which is reminiscent of his own "Tender Mercies" twenty-five years earlier). Both Bridges and Duvall also get to sing, and Bridges's number, "The Weary Kind", won an Oscar.

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On "The Artist", The Lure of Nostalgia, and Ten Silent Movies Worth Talking Up

Just when you start believing there's no hope for anything daring and original coming out of Movieland, something gets released that surprises you.

The Artist is one such movie -- and what's new about it is that it's old.

Or rather -- it's a silent film -- not just a spoof à la Mel Brooks's Silent Movie (1976), but a true homage to a lost art form.

And The Artist really works, recapturing all the charm of a bygone era when movies were really on a roll.

Along with Martin Scorsese's just-released Hugo, the film taps into a growing wave of longing for the kind of pictures that made this relatively new medium so powerful and popular in the first place.

A.O. Scott's recent piece in the New York Times ("Film Is Dead? What Else Is New?") examines this phenomenon, and presumably since his living mostly involves celebrating and promoting the new stuff, he largely debunks it.

Scott's basic argument follows: 1) people have argued movies are going downhill or extinct before, yet they always survive; 2) change is inevitable, and the natural order of things; and 3) in future decades, older viewers will be grousing about how they don't make comedies like they did back in, say, 2011. (Now that's a scary thought!)

Even if all this is true, it misses the essential point.

Many viewers are indeed disillusioned with most of the mainstream domestic movies today, and there are tangible reasons for it -- reasons which go beyond the technical considerations Scott cites in his article (eg, the transition from film to video-based, digital formats).

It's the content up there on the screen that's the real issue.

With too infrequent exceptions, for years now Hollywood has relied way too much on features where quick cutting, computer effects, and sheer noise (!) all work overtime to compensate for bland, predictable scripts populated with types, not characters.

Worse yet, there's a slick, superficial, cynical tone pervading many of these entries. These are not movies that make you feel good about movies, particularly if you're over thirty. (Many of these releases target our attention-challenged kids, which is hardly a comfort.)

Granted, there appears to be a fairly broad populace out there, perhaps conditioned by tabloid reality shows, who seem perfectly content with entertainment that demands nothing from them, and delivers very little that's memorable or meaningful in return.

And so Hollywood continues cranking it out.

Yet for other viewers (and their numbers are swelling), this content neither entertains nor exhilarates, it simply numbs. These are the folks who have virtually stopped going to theatres, the ones who dare to ask A.O. Scott why there are so few good movies anymore.

For these people, when a film like The Artist comes out to significant acclaim, it is a kind of revelation. Because it proves they're not alone -- that considerable nostalgia does exist for movies of the old school -- movies that entertain while engaging both head and heart.

(Never mind that The Artist emanated from Europe, not Hollywood.Then there's the frustrating issue of distribution: while it's easy to find a plethora of substandard entries at your nearby cineplex, currently The Artist is playing at a grand total of four theatres nationwide. Though this will expand, for many Americans, it may never play "at a theatre near you." )

Assuming these promising entries make some money and provide Oscar fodder, could it be the lost art of silent movies will stage a comeback? Or will the studios suddenly start investing in recreating the frothy, sophisticated screwball comedies of the '30s?

Of course not -- and that's not really the point.

The opportunity is to make more films for today that at least take a page from what made the best older movies -- whether talkie or silent -- distinctive and enduring. (Hint: intelligent stories and scripts count; and a recent release like the smart, taut Margin Call is a good example of what we'd like to see more of.)

If this doesn't happen, more discerning viewers will continue avoiding their local movie theatre and instead look back in time, or abroad, to find what they really want to watch.

On the subject of looking back, before seeing The Artist, even I would have been wary to do a piece about the best silent films for home viewing.

But now, having watched it, I feel emboldened, because the movie reminded me just what made this form of filmmaking unique -- the use of expression, gesture and movement -- rather than voice and sound -- to convey emotion and advance the story. When done well, a silent film can be every bit as riveting as a talking one.

Here then are ten silent classics, domestic and foreign, familiar and forgotten, which I think every true movie fan should see at least once:

The Wildcat (1921)- Banished to a remote military post for his unrepentant womanizing, Bavarian lieutenant Alexis (Paul Heidemann) leaves behind a bevy of weeping women and hits the road to a fairy-tale hamlet called Piffkaneiro. In the mountains, his military convoy is attacked by bandits led by free-spirited tomboy Rischka (Pola Negri), who, finding her captive rather attractive, spares his life, leaving the handsome lieutenant to hoof it to the nearby fort in his skivvies, utterly smitten. Unfortunately, the jowly German commandant has arranged for Alexis to wed his dull daughter. Set in a snow-covered fantasy land, Ernst Lubitsch's brilliant and subversively funny satire of marriage and military mores dazzles not only for its frenetic pace and tart performances (Negri's bandit girl is especially saucy), but for its sumptuous sets, adventurous technique, and ever-shifting, almost expressionistic visual style. Even the dialogue is rhymed, like an operetta, all of which might explain why Lubitsch called it a "grotesque in four acts." The director makes hay of military pride and turns all manner of social convention inside out, yet still manages to surprise with an ending (in matrimonial handcuffs!) that reflects his superb comic flair, even in these early years. As one of the most inventive and uproarious of silent comedies, "The Wildcat" deserves a wider audience.

La Roue (1923)- Railroad engineer Sisif (Séverin-Mars) rescues an English baby orphaned in a train wreck and decides to adopt her as a companion for his slightly older son Elie (Gabriel de Gravone). Years later, both father and son have fallen in love with Norma (Close), though she has been promised to another man. When Elie dies in a fight with the other suitor, Sisif is inconsolable, blaming Norma for the loss of his only son. But as time passes, their relationship takes an unexpectedly intimate turn. A mournful melodrama about conflicted love and the pain of loss, Abel Gance's "La Roue" emerged out of two momentous events in the fabled French director's life: the sudden loss of his wife, and a fateful meeting with D.W. Griffith, who taught Gance the principles of montage editing. Shot on location in Nice and in the Alps, "La Roue" is infused with melancholic human feeling as it tracks Norma and Sisif's cathartic life journey. But the dynamic technical innovation on display here is the source of this film's timeless, breath-stealing magic. (Note: at just over four hours, you may want to watch this in two installments, but do watch it- it's well worth the time investment.)

Battleship Potemkin (1925)- Oppressed by their commanding officers, the enlisted crewmen of the Battleship Potemkin stage a mutinous revolt in 1905 Russia, led by charismatic young sailor Vokulinchuk (Aleksandr Antonov). When he is killed during the violent skirmish that results, the citizens of port town Odessa join the struggle against the Czarist regime. Master cinematic innovator Sergei Eisenstein's exhilarating, world-renowned masterpiece re-creates the ill-starred 1905 Russian Revolution that presaged the Bolshevik uprising twelve years later. Celebrated for its brilliant rapid-cut montage techniques, "Potemkin" is a rousing film of great emotional and symbolic richness whose visual sweep and driving energy were unparalleled at the time. The famous Odessa Steps sequence, in which a baby carriage goes careening down stairs as the Cossacks massacre rebellious townsfolk, has been imitated many times, most recently in "The Untouchables." For 69 minutes of pure, visceral cinema, board Battleship Potemkin. (Note: we recommend the Image Entertainment edition.)

Sunrise (1927)- Seduced by an alluring, mysterious coquette from the city (Margaret Livingston), a country farmer (George O'Brien) plots to get rid of his dutiful, neglected wife (Janet Gaynor). During a lakeside picnic, she senses his motive and flees, finding safe harbor in the city. Guilt-wracked and remorseful, her husband eventually gives chase, suddenly mindful of what he stands to lose if he fails to win her back. For his first American production, the great German Expressionist director F.W. Murnau tells a lyrical story about the classic country-city divide (monotony versus bright lights and jazzy excitement) centered on the crisis of faith and commitment that visits a comfortable married couple. A connoisseur of light and shadow, Murnau heightens the romanticism enveloping this love triangle, using lighting, superimposed imagery, and a gliding camera to convey the allure and alienating dangers of city life in his justly celebrated film. See this "Sunrise" for yourself!

Metropolis (1927)- A visionary depiction of 21st-century society, this film depicts a world in which the fabulously wealthy live in opulence above ground while an oppressed underclass toils far below in a heavily routinized, mechanistic dystopia. Appalled by the workers' underground lives, and in love with subterranean beauty Maria (Brigitte Helm), idealistic Freder (Gustav Froehlich) flouts the powers that be-including his industrialist father Fredersen (Alfred Abel)-and begins campaigning for reforms.One of the most influential films ever made, Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" was inspired by the director's awestruck glimpse of the 1920s Manhattan skyline. Visually astonishing and darkly surreal, "Metropolis" is a flawless example of German Expressionism on film, with its heavily stylized, futuristic production design, odd camera angles, and bleak, shadowy evocation of the not-so-harmonious techno-industrial future. Rudolf Klein-Rogge is especially captivating playing sadistic capitalist Rotwang, who engineers a slave revolt against the reformers. A hypnotic, enthralling silent masterwork by the legendary director of "M" and "The Big Heat."

Chang (1927)- Building his home on the edge of a dense, forbidding jungle in Siam, tribal farmer Kru and his family struggle to eke out an existence and protect their livestock - one of their few resources - from the fearsome wild animals that stalk the rain forest. For their impressive follow-up to their pioneering ethno-documentary "Grass," adventurous filmmakers Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper ventured to Siam, where they captured-and experienced first-hand-the perils of jungle life. Part docudrama, part ethnographic field study, "Chang" is a mesmerizing glimpse of ancient culture and the primal laws of the tropics. Could this be where the idea for their subsequent opus, "King Kong", was born? It's hard to resist wondering, given the filmmakers' attention to a mischievous monkey named Bimbo. But there's much more to watch here, too: Kru's ingenious bagging of a leopard, a thunderous elephant stampede, and a river fording you won't forget. All these years later, "Chang" remains one wild trip.

The General (1927)- Confederate railroad engineer Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton) has two great loves: sweet Southern gal Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) and his locomotive, The General. When the Yanks steal both at the outbreak of the Civil War, Gray goes on a hilariously crazed quest to rescue them, resulting in a rollicking blend of adventure, romance, and high-energy comedy. Widely considered one of the greatest films ever made, Keaton's "The General" finds the stone-faced physical comedian at the very height of his creative powers. Wrestling with a cannon or attempting to mount a moving train, Keaton's comic timing and expressive body language rival Chaplin's, and he puts to shame the funnymen of today. Mack is terrific in her own right, playing off Keaton's impassive, foolhardy bravado with sprightly charm. The wildly inventive stunts and chase sequences are as amazing as they are hilarious. "The General" is one train you'll definitely want to catch.

Pandora's Box (1929)- Sultry, tantalizing dancer Lulu (Louise Brooks) captivates all the men she meets, including her much older lover and financial crutch, Dr. Schon (Fritz Kortner). Though Schon is engaged to marry a woman from respectable society, he can't free himself from Lulu's spell. Even his son Alwa is enamored with Lulu, and mounts a variety show with her as the star attraction. But after a violent backstage scuffle leads to Schon's death and a criminal case, Lulu and Alwa are forced to flee, hiding penniless in one of London's seedier quarters. Tawdry, decadent, and unflinching in its portrait of the moral depravity of the Weimar republic, G.W. Pabst's bewitching "Box" might not be so well remembered today if it weren't for the dark charm of Brooks, one of the silent era's most erotic and stunningly sensual sirens. Playing a flirty cabaret dancer who eventually turns to prostitution to survive in dreary London, Brooks is nothing short of thrilling, with her flapper-girl bob and come-hither expressiveness. Pabst surrounds his sympathetic victim-heroine with a leering old codger, a conflicted society man, and even a lesbian admirer, whom she uses to her advantage. But Lulu's light is dimmed by a fateful encounter with Jack the Ripper. Open up this "Box" for a haunting risqué take on Jazz Age libertinism.

Man With A Movie Camera (1929)- The people of late '20s Soviet Russia are the subjects of this marvelously dynamic, day-in-the-life portrait by Vertov, who intercuts images of industrial machinery and railway cars with intimate shots of sporting events, street scenes, and all manner of modern urban activity. This groundbreaking film by the experimental documentarian Dziga Vertov is no dry exercise in recording human behavior: Edited at a pace that startled and mystified audiences at its 1929 premiere, and utilizing optical tricks like split screen, stop-motion, and superimposed images that one can merely gape at in amazement today, "Camera" is an early testament to the wit, versatility, and extraordinary power of film, symbolized by the film's bustling, on-the-go newsreel photographer. Shot on location in Kiev, Odessa, and Moscow, and scored by the Alloy Orchestra according to Vertov's own notes, this is a monument to modernity you'll never tire of seeing.

City Lights (1931)- The plot of this enduring silent comedy is beautifully simple: a destitute tramp (Charlie Chaplin) makes the acquaintance of a blind flower girl (Virginia Cherrill) and tries to raise enough money to pay for an eye operation that will restore her sight. Along the way, he has a fateful encounter with a drunken, suicidal millionaire (Harry Myers) who may be in a position to help. A silent released when the talkie sensation was in full bloom, Chaplin's "City Lights" still swept the box office by storm. Produced, directed, edited, and scored by Chaplin himself, "City Lights" melds the sweet, harmlessly buffoonish antics of Chaplin's Little Tramp persona with a larger theme of humanistic social concern. As always, the comic sequences are exquisitely orchestrated, particularly a hilarious boxing match with Hank Mann, as a muscled pugilist. But the real highlight is that eye-opening final scene with Cherrill, where Chaplin betrays a touch of something close to angelic poignancy. "City Lights" remains a shining testament to one of cinema's authentic geniuses.

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Kirk Douglas Turns 95

Should we call him "Spartacus"? Or "Champion"? Both names certainly fit the man.

Kirk Douglas turns 95 tomorrow, and he is still very much with us. (Over the past couple of years, I've spotted him and his beloved wife Anne twice in New York City, once in a restaurant and once at the theatre.)

He embodies the American Dream because he seized it with the same intensity that animated his characters on-screen. Born in Amsterdam, New York to impoverished immigrant parents, from early days he had a burning desire to perform, and saw acting as his ticket to a better life. He received a scholarship at the American Academy Of Dramatic Arts, earning food money as a gardener and janitor.

After World War 2, an AADA classmate who'd made good, Lauren Bacall, pointed the talented, ambitious Kirk to legendary producer Hal B. Wallis. The actor's subsequent debut in "The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers" (1946) marked him as a comer. Kirk would rarely, if ever, look back.

An iconic star and producer in Hollywood, he has lived the life of ten men. He was almost on the plane that went down with producer Michael Todd in 1958. He broke the Hollywood blacklist by insisting that screenwriter Dalton Trumbo receive credit for "Spartacus." He survived a helicopter crash that killed two others. He suffered a massive stroke that robbed him of his speech, and then worked ceaselessly in therapy to regain it. He's seen one son become a star, and lost another to a drug overdose.

What has sustained him is his Jewish faith (which he re-discovered later in life), and the love and loyalty of his second wife. Their marriage has flourished for close to sixty years.

He holds most every award worth having, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his longstanding, little-known service as a Goodwill Ambassador for the State Department).

Though he was nominated three times, he never won an Academy Award, but was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 1995.

On this milestone birthday, Kirk Douglas should know that he still commands the love and respect of his many fans.

As to his film legacy, the following list is evidence enough that like the man himself, his best work endures and only improves with age.

Out Of The Past (1947)- Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) plays a former gumshoe trying to start a new life who gets dragged back in to his old one. Via flashback we learn slick gangster Whit Sterling (Douglas) hired Jeff to recover his mistress Kathie (Jane Greer), who'd absconded with some of his cash south of the border. When Jeff eventually finds her, she seduces him, claiming she's innocent of theft, and simply escaping from a bad man. But all is not as it seems, and soon enough Jeff has to take it on the lam himself. Now Whit has called him back for a final reckoning, and more surprises are in store. Replete with expressionistic lighting, ominous atmosphere, cynical dialogue, and a sizzling femme fatale, Jacques Tourneur's "Out of the Past" is quintessential film noir. In a star-making performance, Mitchum cemented his image as a laconic, heavy-lidded fatalist, while the white-hot Greer- radiant as Kathie-executes one of the most sensual entrances in film history. A young Douglas also scores as slick gangster Sterling. All conspire to make Tourneur's "Past" damn close to perfect. Remade to lesser effect as "Against All Odds" (1984).

Champion (1949)- After moving to California with his bum-legged brother Connie (Arthur Kennedy), working-class striver Midge Kelly (Douglas) enters the fight game thanks to small-time trainer Tommy (Paul Stewart), who spots a raw talent. Midge rises quickly through the middleweight ranks, but throws aside friends, lovers, the mob, and all moral principles to nab a title bout. Douglas is ruthless and utterly riveting in his hard-charging breakthrough role. Surrounded by a stable of gifted supporting players like Kennedy, Stewart, Marilyn Maxwell (as a high-living, seductive gold digger), and Lola Albright (as Midge's married lover), Douglas embodies the stubborn, selfish qualities that make Midge both a hero and a lost cause. Mark Robson's solid direction and taut pacing further distinguish this excellent boxing drama, which earned six Oscar nods (including one for Kirk) and lots of ringside fans.

Ace In The Hole (1951)- Thanks to womanizing, a drinking problem, and a defiant streak, fiery big-city journalist Charles Tatum (Kirk Douglas) has been relegated to working a local beat for a tiny New Mexico Daily, but he hasn't lost his taste for the big time. When a miner is trapped in a cave-in, Tatum savvily exploits and prolongs the man's plight in hopes of engineering his own prime-time comeback to the big-city dailies which have discarded him. Prescient, cynical, and daring for its time, Billy Wilder's acid-tongued satire on media sensationalism stars Kirk in one of his fiercest early roles. As Tatum, he's a mean-spirited multiple loser pursuing self-glorification at any expense. The luscious Jan Sterling wins points, too, for her portrayal of the trapped man's battered, unhappy wife, Lorraine, who threatens to blow the lid off Tatum's whole circus act. Wilder's astute handling of the chaotic scene around the mine - the media hordes, the gawkers and hangers-on, the souvenir and snack peddlers profiting off the situation - has much to say about our culture's lingering appetite for "human interest" tragedy.

Detective Story (1951)- Over an eventful day in New York's 21st Precinct, Detective James McLeod (Douglas), a man of unwavering principle, works over various thugs and thieves with the swaggering confidence of a veteran cop. But his attempts to put away a shady doctor (George Macready) lead him to discover a corrosively painful truth about his beloved wife, Mary (Eleanor Parker). Before "Homicide" or "Hill Street Blues" came this gritty, hard-hitting cop drama based on Sidney Kingsley's play. Honed to tense perfection by director William Wyler, the film is a showcase for fine, colorful ensemble acting by William Bendix (as the no-nonsense lieutenant), Lee Grant (reprising her role as a mousy shoplifter), Bert Freed (as McLeod's sensitive partner), and Joseph Wiseman (as a hilariously "innocent" Italian burglar). But it's Douglas's fierce, tragic performance as a modern lawman who still sees the world in stark black and white terms that provides the gut-twisting dramatic ironies. Absorbing and devastating, this "Story" gets under your skin and stays there.

The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)- Ruthless, down-on-his-luck producer Jonathan Shields (Douglas) desperately needs a blockbuster to keep his studio afloat, and knows he can get one if he signs up actress Georgia Lorrison (Lana Turner), director Fred Amiel (Barry Sullivan), and writer James Lee Bartlow (Dick Powell), all of whose careers he helped launch. Trouble is, they all hate Shields for turning his back on them on his way up. One of my favorite movies about Hollywood, this sharp, stylized melodrama gets top-flight treatment from director Vincente Minnelli, who certainly knew his subject! Featuring a powerhouse cast-- Douglas, Turner, Powell, Sullivan, as well as Walter Pidgeon and a personal favorite, Gloria Grahame--this scathing look at the inner workings of Tinseltown is a Hollywood voyeur's dream. The intense, Oscar-winning "Bad" is anything but- a first-rate ensemble piece that will keep you glued to the final credits.

Lust For Life (1956)- This superb biopic about tortured 19th-century Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (Douglas) chronicles the life of the artist from his early years as an evangelical missionary to Belgian miners to his days of squalid living with prostitute-model Christine (Pamela Brown), also focusing on the relationship between Vincent and his art-dealer brother, Theo (James Donald). Through Theo, Vincent meets the great Impressionists of Paris, striking up a friendship with the eccentric Paul Gauguin (Anthony Quinn), until his volatile nature gives way to full-fledged madness. Based on Irving Stone's popular book, Vincente Minnelli's beautiful, vibrant film tracks Van Gogh's tragic journey into obsessive madness with unusual perceptiveness and insight. Douglas's fiery performance is a career peak, but Oscar winner Anthony Quinn nearly steals his thunder with a brief but indelible turn as Gauguin. Minnelli filmed on location in Holland and France, even borrowing actual Van Gogh works to use in the production. The result is a compelling, inspiring drama about the hazy border between brilliance and insanity.

Paths Of Glory (1957)- Aloof, ambitious French General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) sends his men out on a suicide mission during the First World War, and when they ultimately retreat, selects three soldiers at random to face charges of cowardice, for which the sentence is death. Guilt-ridden and seething with injustice, the soldiers' commander, Colonel Dax (Douglas) defends his men in the court martial proceedings, all the while sensing that his just, righteous cause may already be lost. Few films expose war's insanity more starkly or with such naked power, contrasting the all-powerful, remote armchair generals with young recruits, mere pawns in an obscene political game, who get slaughtered on the front line of the war to end all wars. We share Dax's righteous fury at the plight of his men as the rushed sham of a trial progresses. Menjou is particularly loathsome as Broulard, and Ralph Meeker also registers as one of the condemned soldiers. One of Stanley Kubrick's earlier, less self-indulgent gems, this stark, disturbing anti-war film hasn't aged a bit. (Kirk's production company, Bryna, made this enduring classic possible.)

Spartacus (1960)- In ancient Rome, a slave called Spartacus (Douglas) leads a tortured, monotonous life of backbreaking labor. By chance he's able to improve his fortunes by training as a gladiator. Yet even this promotion spells certain death in fighting contests staged for patricians like General Crassus (Laurence Olivier). When Spartacus stages a daring escape from his captors, he mobilizes the slave population into a powerful army, which sets its sights on Crassus's legions-and Rome itself. This rousing epic was disowned by director Stanley Kubrick after a contentious, difficult production, but "Spartacus" still offers grand-scale entertainment, thanks to bold, sure-handed direction and a powerhouse cast. The brawny, clench-jawed Douglas shines in his signature role, while Olivier is suitably poisonous as the cold-blooded Crassus. Other notables include the rotund Peter Ustinov providing comic relief as a cowardly slave-trader, and Charles Laughton, who lends gravitas as a senior Roman senator. If you're craving generous portions of spectacle and sweep, here's your movie.

Lonely Are The Brave (1962)- When he learns that his close friend Paul (Michael Kane) has been sentenced to two years in prison for helping illegals cross the border, rugged, free-roaming Jack Burns (Douglas) deliberately gets himself incarcerated, too (by punching a cop), so he can engineer a jail break. But the once-rebellious Paul has mellowed since marrying and starting a family with his wife (Gena Rowlands), and has no interest in becoming a fugitive. So Jack decides to go it alone, one man against the world of law. Scripted by blacklist writer Dalton Trumbo from a novel by Edward Abbey, David Miller's "Brave" pits the ideals of radical American individualism against the arbitrariness of social constraints, soulless technology, and land rights. No one was better suited for this role than Douglas, who flees Walter Matthau's sour sheriff on horseback through the southwestern highlands. At one point, he's cornered by a police helicopter, and the gap between modern life and the freedom of frontier existence couldn't be starker. Gena Rowlands, George Kennedy, and Carroll O'Connor round a stellar supporting cast. An under-exposed gem in Kirk's career.

Seven Days In May (1964)- Outraged that US President Jordan Lyman (Fredric March) has signed a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviets, Gen. James M. Scott (Burt Lancaster) plots a coup d'etat with other Joint Chiefs of Staff. Lyman is alerted to the conspiracy by Scott's aide, Col. "Jiggs" Casey (Douglas), and races against the clock to neutralize the general's traitorous plan. Two years after "The Manchurian Candidate," director John Frankenheimer scored again with this gripping political thriller. Beyond serving as a showcase for two frequently paired stars- Lancaster as a power-mad general, Douglas as a principled whistle-blower--the movie works because in the context of the paranoic Cold War era, the premise feels all-too-plausible. Stark black-and-white photography and brisk pacing only add to the film's breathless tension. Look too for a poignant turn from Ava Gardner as a faded beauty and Washington hostess with past ties to both Jiggs and Scott.

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Burt Lancaster: Always Larger Than Life

Earlier this month, Burt Lancaster would have turned 98, an improbable age for most of us to reach. Yet this actor's unique persona always exuded such robust vitality, you'd be forgiven for thinking that of all people, he just might make it.

If any star was larger than life, it was Burt.

Though sadly he never reached this milestone, he bequeathed to us a stellar body of work that, like the actor himself, simply cannot be ignored. A look at the trajectory of his career also reveals a savvy businessman whose mind was as strong and agile as his physique.

Born the son of a postal worker in New York City, young Burt grew up tough, but from adolescence on was able to channel his immense energy into gymnastics. This talent led to a formative stint as an acrobat in a circus. The athleticism he developed at this point in his life would help define his Hollywood image later.

Lancaster discovered acting while serving his country during World War II, and was ideally positioned when Hollywood was scouting for fresh male talent after hostilities ended. He landed a key role in Robert Siodmak's scorching crime drama, "The Killers" (1946), based on the Hemingway short story.

After the film's release, Burt found himself an overnight celebrity. He later said that his sudden ascension to stardom only resolved him to work that much harder to become a good actor. And that's precisely what he did.

And just consider for a moment his competition in those years -- in particular, Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift.

At a time when "The Method" was transforming the prevailing approach to onscreen acting, Lancaster had to rely solely on his natural gifts. Reportedly he always felt competitive with Brando, which seems only natural: Burt had turned down the original Broadway part of Stanley in "A Streetcar Named Desire" that made the brooding young actor a star, and a quarter century later he would lose the plum role of Don Corleone in "The Godfather" to the enigmatic Brando.

Still, this heightened awareness of precisely who he was up against served him well: it made him focus on honing his craft and take more risks to extend his range.

Lancaster was also one of the first Hollywood personalities to create his own production company. In 1948, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster was formed specifically to guide his career. Though the business was not always run efficiently, the decisions made on behalf of its founder were most often dead-on.

Perhaps Brando was thought to be a better actor, and other stars may have proved more popular in any given year, but over the long haul, few would make stronger movie choices more consistently than Burt Lancaster.

(This fact is reflected on our website, where no less than 22 Lancaster titles are featured.)

Here are just 10 of them that I believe reflect his very best work:

Brute Force (1947): Tough, unsmiling inmate Joe Collins (Lancaster) has spent much of his long prison term butting heads with sadistic, power-hungry Captain Munsey (Hume Cronyn). Sentenced to a merciless work detail in the subterranean drainpipe after one of Munsey's stool pigeons is killed in a machine-shop accident, Collins determines to hatch a breakout plan with his cellmates. Jules Dassin's gritty prison melodrama puts a twist on the archetypal bust-out scheme by revisiting, in flashback, the pre-penitentiary lives of Collins -- ably played by an intense young Lancaster -- and his crew, colorfully brought to life by character actors Whit Bissell, Howard Duff, and John Hoyt. In a fine performance, Charles Bickford appears as the prison's gruff de facto leader and newspaper editor who throws in his lot with Collins. The other ace in Dassin's deck is Cronyn, playing a corrupt, savage prison guard bent on bringing "discipline" to his inmates, while nursing a megalomaniacal ambition to replace the wimpy Warden. Aside from the ominous noir visuals, Dassin explores issues endemic to prison life and wraps them up in an ugly finale meant to evoke a Nazi bloodbath.

The Crimson Pirate (1952): Captain Vallo (Lancaster) -- the most energetic and cunning of 18th-century pirates -- seizes a cache of ammunition from a Spanish ship and decides to sell it to the rebels of Spain. An agent from Spain then offers Vallo a sizable bribe if he agrees to snatch the rebel leader instead. The pirate is torn between his love of money and a nagging sense of honor which draws him to the rebels' side. Lancaster's showbiz start as an acrobat is on full display in this kinetic, vibrant and spirited adventure; both his grace in motion and youthful charisma dazzle. Eva Bartok makes a fetching love interest as well. And Burt's old acrobat pal Nick Cravat is on-hand playing Vallo's mute sidekick (the studio wouldn't let him speak on-screen because of his thick New York accent). Cravat matches the young star's impressive moves, if not his million-watt smile. Also look for Christopher Lee and Dana Wynter in minor roles. Lots of action and color fill this sweeping picture, which is certain to enthrall grown-ups and children alike. By all means, set sail with "The Crimson Pirate."

From Here to Eternity (1953): Based on James Jones' epic novel, a tough marine sergeant (Lancaster) begins a torrid affair with the wife of his commanding officer (Deborah Kerr), while a lowly private (Montgomery Clift) becomes a tragic victim of his own boxing prowess. All this happens right on Pearl Harbor, just as that naval outpost -- and the United States itself -- literally get bombed into World War II. "Eternity" virtually swept the 1953 Oscars -- and no wonder. It remains a fascinating, multi-layered human drama set within the larger canvas of impending conflict. The all-star cast is uniformly excellent, with Lancaster's performance providing the glue that holds the picture together. Also, Frank Sinatra's Oscar-winning turn as hot-headed, scrawny Maggio single-handedly revived his sagging career. And the torrid (for the time) beach scene with Lancaster and Kerr still qualifies as one of cinema's most indelible images. And just wait for that culminating Pearl Harbor attack sequence. A must see.

Sweet Smell of Success (1957): Desperate to promote one of his clients, slimy press flack Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) turns to the most powerful man he knows: acid-tongued gossip columnist J.J Hunsecker (Lancaster), who can make or break anyone in New York. Falco gets what he needs from Hunsecker, but then is maneuvered to help ruin a mild-mannered jazz trumpeter (Martin Milner) with eyes for the poison-pen scribe's younger sister (Susan Harrison). Turning from his comedic work at Britain's Ealing Studios to direct this noirish, all-American masterpiece about greed, ambition, and the perversity of power, Alexander MacKendrick relied on estimable playwright Clifford Odets and writer Ernest Lehman for their scripting talent. What resulted was one of the most cynical, caustic films ever made about the sleazy underbelly of Manhattan show business, featuring blistering performances from Lancaster and a young Curtis in his prime. "I love this dirty town," proclaims the Walter Winchell-esque Hunsecker, and you never once doubt him. Sinister, tawdry, and burnished with a tone-perfect jazz score by Elmer Bernstein, "Success" was never this twisted.

Elmer Gantry (1960): Hiding his dissolute leanings, charismatic street preacher Elmer Gantry (Lancaster) teams up with touring tent revivalist Sister Sharon Falconer (Jean Simmons) to spread the word of God, and before long the two are making money hand over fist. Falconer falls in love with Gantry, and with her new spoils, he builds an enormous house of worship by the ocean. But the mercurial minister's womanizing past is about to revisit them in the person of Lulu (Shirley Jones), a jilted prostitute out for a little payback. Based on the bestselling novel by Sinclair Lewis, this tale of a lustful, larger-than-life charlatan's fall from grace owes its strength to the force of Lancaster's dynamic, Oscar-winning performance. His Gantry preaches hellfire and brimstone, but loves life -- and women -- with a hearty gusto that is as pure as Sister Falconer's vanity is unbecoming. Jones also took home an Oscar, playing against type in a sultry turn as a minister's "fallen" daughter who became Gantry's lover. Also great is Arthur Kennedy as an atheist journalist modeled on the legendary H.L. Mencken. Fiery and sharp, Richard Brooks's satirical take on Bible-thumping hypocrisy and hucksterism still speaks volumes in today's world.

The Leopard (1963): This sweeping film portrays a transitional period in 19th-century Italy when the old aristocracy gave way to the rising middle classes to forge a more democratic nation. This societal change is glimpsed through the eyes of the aging prince Don Fabrizio Salina (Lancaster), decidedly of the old Italy, who views its passing philosophically. Luchino Visconti's exquisite epic weaves the theme of societal upheaval into a sumptuous cinematic tapestry. The impossibly beautiful Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale play two young lovers who represent the incoming order. Meanwhile, a meticulously dubbed Lancaster gives a flavorful, commanding performance as Delon's uncle. The film's final set piece is a particular stunner, often cited as one of the most visually arresting sequences in all film. This is one "Leopard" you should definitely approach. (Trivia note: both Brando and Laurence Olivier were considered for Lancaster's role here, just as all three acting titans would compete for the part of Don Corleone nearly 10 years later.)

The Train (1964): Cold-blooded Colonel Von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) wants to remove a cache of priceless art from France by train in the waning days of the Nazi occupation. With the help of some gallant friends in the Resistance, including comely innkeeper Christine (Jeanne Moreau) railroad worker Paul Labiche (Lancaster) takes on the dangerous task of derailing this mission. John Frankenheimer's pulse-pounding war film is lean and riveting, as Lancaster's character works intrepidly to foil Von Waldheim's exacting plans. Lancaster is restrained and no-nonsense as Labiche -- thankfully he doesn't even attempt a French accent, while Scofield is icy perfection as the ruthless Von Waldheim. This is one of my personal favorites from the '60s and ranks among the talented Frankenheimer's best work.

The Swimmer (1968): Hopping from one backyard swimming pool to another in suburban Connecticut, affluent, middle-aged ad executive Ned (Lancaster) appears to be fit and happy. His neighbors, however, seem distraught and worried about Ned's mental state, and it slowly becomes evident that his destination is not just home, but a reckoning with the devastating truth of his past -- and present. Frank Perry's heart-wrenching adaptation of the celebrated John Cheever short story digs under the skin of suburban malaise to reveal a kind of festering wound of disappointment, represented by a man absolutely naked in his psychological trauma. Lancaster never really gave a bad performance, but here he is riveting, playing a manic, effusively upbeat man who keeps insisting to everyone that he's "okay." Slowly, of course, we come to realize some darker things about Ned, and why he's really not okay at all. Perry handles the slow reveal with magisterial grace, with all of it building to a shattering final image. Stylishly photographed and robustly acted, this unforgettable film will swim through your brain for a long time.

Atlantic City (1980): Lou Pasco (Lancaster) is a remnant of the old Atlantic City, a fading numbers runner who takes care of Grace (Kate Reid), the lonely, elderly widow of a mob boss. His neighbor Sally Matthews (Susan Sarandon) is a symbol of the city's coming revitalization with legalized gambling -- a young waitress and aspiring blackjack dealer who hopes one day to work in a Monte Carlo casino. Lou comes into unexpected money via a botched drug deal, and finally gets the chance to live the dream he'd almost given up on, one that includes a new wardrobe, a wad of cash, and Sally on his arm. But will Lou's new reality last, and will Sally get the chance to make her own dreams come true? Hypnotic film by French director Louis Malle deals with themes of decay and regeneration in both character and setting. Lou personifies the past, Sally the future, with Atlantic City itself the transitional present making it possible for this unlikely duo to connect. Sarandon is luminous, but Lancaster's Lou forms the movie's heart and soul. A top-notch script by John Guare completes a winning package. This "City" is well worth a visit.

Local Hero (1983): A large Texas oil and gas company wants to purchase a small Scottish town and turn it into a refinery. The company sends along Mac (Peter Riegert), the proverbial smooth salesman, to negotiate with the locals. Any hopes of closing the deal quickly evaporate as Mac must adjust to the more leisurely rhythms of the town's natives. To force matters to a head, Mr. Happer (Lancaster), the company's remote, eccentric leader, ultimately flies in for a personal visit. But is oil the only thing on Happer's mind? Bursting with personality and charm, "Hero" is a touching fable about finding magic in the everyday business of living. Riegert is spot-on as Mac, a man who thinks he understands his place in the world and then gets gradually transformed by a special time and place. A charming Lancaster dominates the film's later scenes as the star-struck Happer. This feature is heroic indeed: a movie with heart and spirit that gradually sneaks up on you.

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Inspiration Over Perspiration: The Best Almodovar by Farr

Brett Ratner's recent anti-gay slur wasn't the first thing he said that sounded just plain stupid.

Did anyone notice his quote in the recent puff piece about him in the New York Times ("Forget the Art House; He's Making Blockbusters," 10/30/11)?

Ratner, all ready to foist the lame Tower Heist on an unsuspecting mass audience, made this dubious claim: "It's so funny how people look down on commercial filmmaking. But it's a much harder skill to make movies for millions of people... than it is a pretentious art house film."

I confess that little nugget of wisdom left me scratching my head.

Later on in the same piece, Heist star Ben Stiller had this to say about Ratner: "Sometimes [it] seems like he's going a million miles an hour in a lot of directions at once. But it's a real talent to be able to corral everyone and push this big machine forward everyday."

This big, lumbering machine, it turns out, with one-dimensional characters and plot holes the size of Phoenix.

It appears that Ratner's approach to his work tends to emphasize size over substance, action over character and perspiration over inspiration.

Unfortunately, even in the realm of escapist entertainment, without at least a measure of inspiration, what shows up on the screen is usually forgettable at best, and it really doesn't matter how much "harder" it is to do.

And character, substance, and inspiration can serve a juicy thriller exceedingly well. For proof, check out Pedro Almodovar's The Skin I Live In.

Even though this astonishing film is only playing on about 80 screens (as opposed to over 3,300 for Tower Heist) it's worth a trip to whatever pretentious art house is showing it.

A tale of a scientist who exacts a most unusual form of revenge on the young man that victimized his daughter, Skin is gorgeously shot, paced, and acted. Clearly it owes a debt not only to Hitchcock but also Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but Almodovar makes it feel fresh, original and contemporary.

And while Pedro makes it look easy, I have a feeling it's not.

In a medium where it's common for directors to fall into familiar patterns, over a nearly thirty-year directing career, Almodovar has defied formula and easy labeling.

Yes -- there are recurring themes: he often addresses gender issues in his films (Skin is no exception) and he often builds his stories around strong female characters. In addition, his storytelling has a daring, edgy, off-kilter quality that at times feels reminiscent of surrealist (and fellow countryman) Luis Bunuel.

Still, his body of work avoids a feeling of sameness, with each new feature containing an element of surprise and a sense of progression. As a filmmaker, Pedro is aging beautifully.

It's worth noting that Almodovar never went to film school -- he could never afford it. Arriving from rural Spain to Madrid in the late sixties, he basically had nothing. He managed to scrape together enough money to buy a cheap Super 8 camera, and his cinematic voyage (and ours) commenced.

Like the brilliant Indian director Satyajit Ray, Almodovar honed his craft by learning to do more with less. In closing, I would simply suggest to Brett Ratner that doing this is pretty hard as well.

The following titles make up my short list of "primo Pedro":

Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (1988) -- When pregnant Spanish actress Pepa (Carmen Maura) finds out that her longtime lover Ivan (Fernando Guillén) is leaving her, she tries to track him down. Instead, she discovers his secret life, including wife Lucia (Julieta Serrano). Contemplating suicide, the distraught Pepa mixes up a gazpacho spiked with sleeping pills and puts her flat on the market, but is interrupted by her panicked best friend Candela (Barranco) followed by wave after wave of unexpected visitors. Almodovar's first international hit, this kinetic, farcical romp mixes up absurd comic situations and bizarre, coincidental encounters between ex-lovers, jealous wives, Shiite terrorists and sexy apartment seekers. Maura heads up a terrific cast, playing the hysteric Pepa with pathos and manic passion, while Barranco and Serrano (as Ivan's unhinged, gun-toting wife) are brilliantly zany. Watch for future Hollywood star Antonio Banderas in a small but memorable role as Ivan's randy son. No one does screwball comedy like Almodovar, or loves these "Women" quite as much.

All About My Mother (1999) -- When her son is killed in a hit-and-run accident, emotionally devastated single mom Manuela (Cecilia Roth) returns to her old stomping ground in Barcelona. After reacquainting herself with transvestite hooker Agrado (Antonia San Juan), she meets Sister Rosa (Penelope Cruz), a young nun with troubles of her own. Through a series of coincidences, she becomes a personal assistant to Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes), a famous actress whose autograph her son was seeking the night he was run over. A spellbinding, character-driven drama with lots of twists and turns, Almodóvar's Mother is an homage to female actresses and anyone with a maternal instinct. With his trademark visual flair and empathy for fringe feminine types -- hookers, transvestites, druggies, and distraught single women in particular -- Almodóvar spins an engaging, melodramatic story with heavy allusions to All About Eve and A Streetcar Named Desire. Roth, Paredes, Cruz, and San Juan all give affecting, spirited performances, and the director himself snagged two awards at Cannes for this masterful film. Why not let Almodóvar "Mother" you?

Talk To Her (2002) -- Tabloid journalist Marco (Dario Grandinetti) falls for feisty bullfighter Lydia (Rosario Flores), the subject of a celebrity gossip piece he's working on, but she is gored in the ring and sent to the hospital in a coma. In an adjoining room, private nurse Benigno (Javier Camara) devotes himself to caring for Alicia (Leonor Watling), a beautiful young dancer who for years has lain comatose after a car accident. Meeting by chance at a theater, the two men find they have much in common and strike up a friendship. A slyly subversive ode to love in all its myriad forms, Talk to Her is an intimate, involving tale that examines the dark and even perverse nature of masculinity with great compassion. As always, Almodovar, who won an Oscar for his screenplay and was also nominated for his direction, coaxes exemplary performances from his players, especially Grandinetti -- whose teary Marco is movingly guilt-ridden about Lydia's injuries -- and Camara, playing a naive man whose obsessive attachment to Alicia takes a black-comic turn. With its striking visual flair and even a mini silent-film fantasy evoking Buster Keaton, Talk to Her is an audacious love fable with an enormous heart.

Bad Education (2004) -- After many years, gay film director Enrique (Fele Martinez) gets a visit from old classmate Ignacio (Gael Garcia Bernal), who was Enrique's first love. Ignacio is now a struggling actor who calls himself Angel. He offers Enrique a script based on his Catholic school experience, with a revenge twist imposed on a sexually abusive priest. The movie combines the playing out of the script with real life, and identities get consciously blurred. Is the young actor really Ignacio, and if not, who is he? This potent, complex film features a stunning, gender-bending performance from Garcia Bernal, and an ingenious plot that has us shifting between Ignacio's story as written and real-life. Themes of human and sexual identity mix with a sordid tale of abuse and revenge to create a dense, twisty thriller. Note: those uncomfortable with depictions of simulated gay sex should opt for the R-rated version. Another memorable and distinctive entry from writer/director Almodovar.

Volver (2007) -- Raimunda (Penelope Cruz) is a smart, sexy, vivacious woman living in Madrid with her adolescent daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo) and layabout husband, Paco (Antonio de la Torre). Nearby lives Raimunda's younger sister, Sole (Lola Dueas), who works as a hair stylist and accompanies Raimunda on visits to see their senile elderly aunt. The aunt lives in La Mancha, together with the ghost of their mother Irene (Carmen Maura), who perished years before in a house fire. After a couple of deaths close to home shake up their lives, Raimunda and Sole begin to uncover the sordid truth behind their family past. Part murder mystery, part ghost story, and one hundred percent witty, estrogen-fueled fantasy, Almodovar's story of three generations of women is one of the Spanish director's most exuberant films. Enamored of outcasts and oddballs, Almodovar here introduces an element of the supernatural to make an already compelling story of sex, lies, and secrecy even more intriguing. Channeling her inner Anna Magnani, Cruz is a force of nature bursting with brassy verve and self-confidence, especially during her heart-melting solo rendition of the flamenco song "Volver." Co-stars Dueñas, Maura, and Blanca Portillo, playing a cancer-ridden friend of the family, make this moving, enchanting drama an irresistible ensemble film.

Broken Embraces (2009) -- Blind screenwriter and onetime film director Mateo (Luis Homar), who writes under the pen name "Harry Caine," feels that he lives life as "an epilogue," having experienced almost everything. But he remembers a time before he lost his sight in an auto accident when he passionately courted and won over his leading lady, Lena (Penelope Cruz). Recalling the ill-fated shoot 14 years before, he recounts to his assistant Judit (Blanco Portillo) how Lena's jealous lover Ernesto (Jose Luis Gomez), now deceased, strong-armed his gay son Ray (Ruben Ochandiano) into spying on her under the guise of making a documentary about their collaboration. Broken Embraces, an elaborately structured roundelay of flashbacks and proliferating storylines, is a heady romantic melodrama that's as much about the dark magic of moviemaking as it is passion and revenge. Hitchcock and Douglas Sirk both come to mind as influences on Almodovar's noirish love-gone-wrong tale, but the gorgeous cinematography, frenetic time shifts, and charmingly bold set designs are all Pedro. Impressive as ever, Cruz is a fiery and delectable presence in whatever persona she assumes (a Spanish Marilyn Monroe, in one sequence). Ultimately a pastiche of film history gussied up a sultry thriller, Broken Embraces is a stately, thoroughly tempting affair.

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She Who Dares: The Astonishing Work of Tilda Swinton

Believe it or not, in a pop culture filled with mindless reality shows and slick formula franchises, there are still a few players out there whose work offers a glimmer of hope that originality and intelligence can prevail.

Tilda Swinton is one such player.

It is heartening that at 50, her career is in red-hot mode. Her next film, We Need To Talk About Kevin just won top prize at the BFI London Film Festival. Director John Madden, the festival jury chair, stated he was "... simply bowled over... it's a sublime, uncompromising tale of the torment that can stand in the place of love."

The word "uncompromising" sounds like the perfect word to describe Tilda Swinton. She is drawn almost exclusively to smart, challenging, edgy projects, and she is utterly fearless in the roles she chooses.

In "Kevin" (which opens December 9th) she plays a mother coming to grips with the fact that her son has perpetrated a Columbine-type massacre at his school. This is the just the type of intense portrayal Swinton does best.

Even if the harrowing nature of "Kevin" puts off some viewers, one thing is certain: those who value superb acting will likely see it, because it stars Tilda Swinton.

Striking rather than beautiful, Swinton is transfixing on-screen. Watching her is like riding an express train into the inner life of her (usually) high-strung, vulnerable characters -- a decidedly unsettling but fascinating place to be.

Swinton, who'd eventually rebel against most anything safe and conventional, was born into a life of sheltered privilege. Descended from one of Scotland's oldest families, she attended Cambridge, then did a stint with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, where she felt stifled and left after one year. Drawn to the avant-garde, she wanted to experiment, to pursue a more daring and provocative path as an artist.

Though trained in the theatre, Swinton was increasingly drawn to film, and a fateful meeting with British director Derek Jarman in the mid-eighties proved pivotal. She would maintain a close working relationship with him, appearing in seven of his productions, until Jarman succumbed to AIDS in 1994.

Still, it was the film Orlando (1992), her gender-bending collaboration with writer/director Sally Potter, that launched her internationally. She has barely looked back since.

True, Swinton's work is not for everyone, certainly not those addicted to "light entertainment." But if you like your movies dark and deep, this is one amazing actress who always delivers the goods, and never sells out.

Orlando (1992)- Young Orlando (Swinton) is an English nobleman living an idle life in the early 1600s. After a visit from Queen Elizabeth (Quentin Crisp) leaves him unexpectedly immortal, his life stretches out endlessly before him, allowing for adventures far beyond the reach of imagination. After stints as a poet, ambassador and erstwhile lover of Russian royalty, he switches genders and continues journeying, but from a decidedly feminine perspective. His/her lifelong quest is to discover the purest, most powerful love; that search spans centuries and continents in this adaptation of Virginia Woolf's famous novel. Swinton's breakthrough turn as the androgynous Orlando is reason enough to see this daringly original film. Sally Potter's adaptation is playful, intelligent and witty -- she takes us through the centuries, but we're never lost, and she always makes time for humorous asides. Academy Award-nominated for its lush production design and costumes, this swooning romance manages to engage the mind as well as the eye. Indeed, Orlando is what all literary adaptations should aspire to be.

The War Zone (1999)- After reluctantly relocating from London to the harsh coastline of Devon with his family, isolated, sexually frustrated teenager Tom (Freddie Cunliffe) is forced to live in cramped quarters with his sister Jessie (Lara Belmont), pregnant mother (Swinton), and overbearing Dad (Ray Winstone), the only family member who seems happy with their move. Then, one afternoon, the peeping Tom makes a disturbing discovery about his father that threatens to destroy the entire clan. The first-time directorial effort of British actor Tim Roth ("Reservoir Dogs," "Pulp Fiction"), "War Zone" is a bleak, harrowing tale of incest and domestic disturbance, adapted by Alexander Stuart from his own novel. To his credit, Roth not only assembles an excellent cast headed by future arthouse celebs Winstone and Swinton, he directs with a gloomy, even claustrophobic flair that recalls vintage Bergman. Though brutal and unsparing in its depiction of family dysfunction, The War Zone never fails to captivate.

The Deep End (2001)- When the body of her 17-year-old son's predatory former gay lover washes up on their lakefront property one morning, Margaret Hall (Swinton) does what any desperate mother might do: she gets rid of the corpse. Not long after, small time hood Alek Spera (Goran Visnjic) pops up on her doorstep, with an incriminating videotape and an impossible monetary demand. Ensuing negotiations make Alek sympathetic to Margaret's impossible position, but Alek's psychopathic boss (Raymond Barry) is less understanding. In this vivid nail-biter, a remake of Max Ophuls's "The Reckless Moment," Swinton is flawless as a woman who must carry on with the mundane details of her life while bearing a life-threatening burden alone. Visnjic excels as the conflicted middle-man, but Barry is most memorable as an impatient, cold-blooded gangster. Even with momentary graphic sex and some violence, the film's dramatic tension derives wholly from Swinton's character, and our appreciation of one mother's lonely, desperate predicament. Taut and suspenseful, "The Deep End" is not to be missed.

Adaptation (2002)- Sad-sack, chronically self-doubting Hollywood screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) is hired to script "The Orchid Thief", written by New Yorker scribe Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep). Obsessed with the foxy author, and struggling with how to faithfully adapt the tale of Orleans's intriguing friendship with a renegade rare-flower expert John Laroche (Chris Cooper), Kaufman becomes increasingly stressed, unhinged, and of course, innovative in his approach. Meanwhile, studio producer Valerie Thomas (Swinton) is breathing down his neck. This brilliant meta-narrative and hilarious spoof of Hollywood's formulaic approach to telling stories, Adaptation is the brainchild of Jonze and real-life writer Kaufman, who had teamed earlier on Being John Malkovich. In fact, Kaufman really was hired to adapt the Orlean book, and took a chance writing a zany, highly inventive script about his neurotic inability to wedge it into a conventional plot structure. He also invented a fictitious alter ego, twin brother Donald, who despite being a noodle-brained philistine, knows how to write a crack blockbuster. Cage's sweaty, uncomfortable turn in both roles is pure angst-filled genius, and pros Streep, Swinton and Cooper (who nabbed an Oscar) match his inspired playing throughout.

Michael Clayton (2007)- New York City lawyer Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a "fixer" for a big firm, cleaning up the dirty messes his high-paying clients leave behind, but lately he's been feeling burned out and disillusioned. Things come to a head for Clayton when his guilt-ridden friend, ace lawyer Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), decides to blow the whistle on a corporate client's massive wrongdoing, thereby threatening his career, his sanity, even his life. One of the thorniest and most celebrated legal thrillers in years, "Clayton" marks the directorial debut of "Bourne" trilogy screenwriter Tony Gilroy, whose film is distinguished by whip-smart dialogue, meticulous pacing, and plenty of riveting tension. A-lister Clooney adopts a quieter, less showy pose as a troubled lawyer torn between his loyalty to firm honcho Sydney Pollack and his pal Wilkinson, who gives an astounding performance as an erratic, manic-depressive lawyer at the breaking point. As you'd expect, the no-nonsense Swinton is superb as the offending Client's top lawyer (she won an Oscar for this). Gilroy handles all the intrigue -- a cover-up, then a murder--with cold efficiency, but catharsis does arrive in the final scene.

Julia (2008)- Julia (Swinton) is an out-of-control alcoholic whose manipulative behavior has finally tested the patience of her boss, who fires her, and a close friend, Mitch (Saul Rubinek), who doles out some tough love. At an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting (which, of course, she scorns), Julia meets broken, obviously unhinged Elena (Kate del Castillo), who pleads with her to kidnap her estranged young son from her wealthy industrialist father. Julia, desperate for money, agrees, but has no intention of carrying through with the plan for anyone's benefit but her own. Swinton turns in another tour de force performance in Erick Zonca's cross-border thriller, playing a conniving, selfish drunk who resorts to crime and other extreme measures when she loses her job. The kidnapping goes awry, of course, but that's just the beginning of Julia's trek into the lower depths with a scared kid (Aidan Gould) who quickly figures out she's no friend. Zonca keeps the action on full throttle, all the way south to Mexico, but there's no question this is Swinton's film. A great crime movie, Julia also provides a fitting showcase for one gifted actress.

I Am Love (2009)- Love takes us into the cosseted world of the stylish and beautiful Recchi family, who own highly successful textile mills in Milan. Originally from Russia, over the years matriarch Emma (Swinton) has integrated herself seamlessly into this Italian dynasty. Fissures appear in their well-ordered, well-appointed lives when succession plans are announced at the family company, and Emma's beloved son Edo (Flavio Parenti) is elevated to share power with his father. Later, when Edo introduces Emma to his friend Antonio (Eduardo Gabriellini), a gifted chef, an unlikely, all-consuming romance develops, threatening to tear the whole family apart. This visually sumptuous film stimulates all the senses as its tale of forbidden romance and simmering family dysfunction unfolds. Once again, the virtuosic Swinton pulls off a demanding central role, speaking both Russian and Italian; her passion and sense of liberation as she eyes her young lover literally jumps off the screen at you. That said, if there ever was a director's picture, this is it. Luca Guadagnino's nimble camerawork brings a mesmerizing immediacy to the proceedings, making these telegenic actors look even more stunning, and the production design even more breathtaking. If not an outright masterpiece, Love is certainly close to it.

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This Lion Roared: A Tribute To George C. Scott

George C. Scott, gone twelve years now, would have turned 84 today.

What an actor.

I was just old enough to go see Patton when it opened in 1970. In that indelible opening scene in front of the American flag where the general addresses his troops, I recall my jaw dropped open. Viewed on that enormous screen, never before had an actor seemed so big, imposing and powerful.

He made that part so much his own, it's hard to conceive of anyone else doing it (though Lee Marvin, Robert Mitchum, Rod Steiger and Burt Lancaster all turned it down before Scott was tapped.)

I saw him on Broadway as well, first in Larry Gelbart's Sly Fox (1976) next in Inherit The Wind (1996) when his health was failing and he looked a full decade older than his seventy years. No surprise -- he was spellbinding both times. You could not take your eyes off him whenever he was on stage, to the point where you actually pitied the other players.

I don't think there was ever a more intense actor, someone so adept at channeling inner rage and torment into his performances.

And that rage was very real -- it had to be. Others may weigh in more authoritatively on its source, but certainly part of it was his reaction to fame. Though it would be hard to name a finer, more dedicated practitioner of his craft, he was extremely uncomfortable with all the adulation and hype that came with it.

Put another way, he hated that part of himself that unconsciously craved the attention and adoration of the public.

Perhaps his most revealing quote: "There is no question you get pumped up by recognition. Then a self-loathing sets in when you realize you're enjoying it."

This attitude led him to eschew the Oscars in particular: Scott became the first actor ever to refuse an Oscar, calling the ceremony a glorified "meat market." On the night he won the statuette for Patton he was reportedly at home, watching a hockey game.

Tall and powerfully built, with an intimidating countenance and powerful voice that could growl or roar like a lion, co-workers mostly kept their distance from this brooding, mercurial figure.

Cast opposite Scott in the stage version of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite, actress Maureen Stapleton confided to director Mike Nichols that her co-star petrified her. He replied: " My dear, the whole world is frightened of George."

Born in Virginia in 1927, the young Scott originally wanted to become a writer. After four years in the Marine Corps (where his duty fostered an ongoing pattern of heavy drinking) he enrolled at the University of Missouri, intending to major in journalism. There, he got the acting bug, and quit after a year to pursue his newfound passion full-time.

He trained and paid his dues in the theater during the fifties, going through the first two of five marriages and siring four children. 1958 proved a pivotal year, as Scott won an Obie Award and started getting TV parts. The following year, feature films beckoned, and the actor would be Oscar-nominated for only his second outing in Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder.

The turbulent sixties were a busy time for Scott, as he balanced film, theater and TV work. He also married actress Colleen Dewhurst, and they would have two sons together (including actor Campbell Scott). The combustible couple would divorce in 1965, re-marry in 1967 and split for good in 1972. (Later that year, he wed actress Trish Van Devere, and this union held until his death.)

It's regrettable that Scott's best movies were concentrated between the late fifties and early seventies. Really no film he made after that period was fully worthy of his talents, though his presence automatically elevated virtually anything he appeared in. (Like all the best actors, he was always fascinating to watch, even when the material was indifferent, or worse.)

It was as if Hollywood didn't know what to do with him, or decided he was too difficult. Or -- just perhaps, the industry was punishing him for his rejection of their all-important ceremony of self-congratulation. Who knows?

Actually, most aspects of George C. Scott's character, life and career contain an air of mystery, of something unrevealed. Perhaps that's the way he intended it.

Whether or not you were fortunate enough to see him in the theater, his best film work remains. Revisiting these six features -- and watching this enigmatic, brilliant actor perform -- is still a revelation.

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) -- Paul Biegler (James Stewart) is a former prosecutor who's at a professional turning point. Now out of the district attorney's office, he's a defense lawyer, and needs a high-profile assignment to establish himself. He finds it in the case of Lieutenant Fred Mannion (Ben Gazzara) an army officer accused of killing the man who raped Bannion's sexy wife Laura (Lee Remick). The case grows more complex the deeper Biegler probes, and he's also up against a ruthless young prosecutor (Scott) intent on winning a conviction at all costs. Otto Preminger's crackling courtroom drama makes for a twisty, racy, irresistible film. Stewart is in his element as the dogged Biegler, but junior players Gazzara, Remick and Scott are every bit as good. Gritty atmosphere and a smoky Ellington score (with Duke himself in a rare on-screen appearance) help make this daring, distinctive picture hum.

The Hustler (1961) -- "Fast Eddie" Felson (Paul Newman) is a charismatic California pool shark with a wide streak of arrogance to match his considerable skill. After he loses big to the legendary Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) Eddie hits the skids and falls for fellow lost soul Sarah (Piper Laurie). Trying to hustle his way back to the top of his game, he entrusts his future to oily promoter Bert Gordon (George C. Scott) who promises him riches and fame. But will Gordon deliver if Eddie does? A gritty, atmospheric picture about the tense world of high-stakes pool, Robert Rossen's Hustler features some of Newman's best work to-date. "Fast Eddie" may be a young virtuoso with a pool cue, but his maturity hasn't caught up with his moves, and he learns some hard lessons in pool and life from Minnesota Fats, played to cool perfection by the late, great Gleason. Scott also stands out as a callous backer, and Laurie does a sad, sensitive turn as a lonely woman on the fringes who falls under Eddie's spell.

Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) -- In this satirical doomsday thriller, a U.S. bomber piloted by Major Kong (Slim Pickens) receives a signal to release its nuclear payload on Russia. When the unfortunate Captain Mandrake (Peter Sellers) seeks out Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) to learn why he ordered the drop, and why he's placed his Air Force base on lockdown, it's quickly evident the general has lost his marbles. Meanwhile, President Muffley (Sellers again) meets with senior advisers, including a hawkish general (Scott) and the oddly sinister nuclear scientist Dr. Strangelove (Sellers) to review their limited options to save the planet. The most inspired piece of Cold War satire ever and one of the screen's supreme black comedies, Stanley Kubrick's Strangelove confronted jittery audiences in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and not long after the advent of the H bomb. With Kubrick's twisted genius as director and screenwriter in full bloom, and peerless performances by Sellers (in three roles) Scott, and the unhinged Hayden, the film is unbearably funny and extremely disturbing all at once. The blackest of pitch black comedies, this "Dr." really hasn't aged one bit.

Petulia (1968) -- Archie Bollen (Scott) is a middle-aged San Francisco physician in the midst of a divorce. After meeting Archie at a gala event, sexy, troubled socialite Petulia (Julie Christie) pursues him avidly, hoping to embark on a torrid affair, even though she is married to David (Richard Chamberlain) a handsome swinger with an abusive streak. But Petulia has another connection to Archie, too, a secret bond she never divulges, even as their lives become increasingly tangled. Set in San Francisco at the height of the Summer of Love, Richard Lester's stylish, offbeat melodrama pays homage to the swinging sixties in more ways than one. Through jarring jump cuts, flashbacks and "flash forwards," and glimpses of the Grateful Dead performing for a crowd of gyrating hipsters, the director evokes the psychedelic ethos of the era as a way in to the turbulent lives of Archie and Petulia, each of whom is suffering a private torment: she is a victim of abuse, while he just wants to "feel something." Scott and Christie are exemplary in their roles, while Chamberlain gets to look pretty, sulk and act like a cad. Lensed by Nicholas Roeg, Petulia is a trippy tale of love and confusion that explores the humid underside of flower power.

Patton (1970) -- Director Franklin J. Schaffner's rich portrayal of the controversial, larger-than-life World War II general recreates all the excitement and drama of the European front, while exploring one career officer's outsize ambition to expand his own role in this historic conflict. We see how Patton's unusually aggressive style most always yielded the desired results on the battlefield, yet so rankled both superiors and subordinates that the top leadership position he craved -- and the adulation that went with it -- would inevitably elude him. Scott delivers a towering rendition of the profane, colorful general, by turns making us admire, revile, and pity this man, who was driven by a profound sense of pre-destination. Karl Malden provides stellar support as Patton's more measured but equally brilliant colleague General Omar Bradley, but this is Scott's show all the way, as evidenced by his winning the Best Actor Oscar, an award he turned down. The film garnered an additional six statuettes, including Best Picture, Director and Screenplay (for Francis Ford Coppola). Patton endures today as an epic war film that tells a very human story.

The Hospital (1971) -- Herbert Bock (Scott) the harried chief of medicine at a big city hospital, is divorced, impotent, estranged from his children and thinking seriously about ending it all. When patients start dying mysteriously on his watch, he suspects foul play. Indeed, the whole hospital seems to be on life support. Complicating matters, the alluring but eccentric free spirit Barbara Drummond (Diana Rigg) confronts Block, demanding to collect her ill father (Barnard Hughes) and take him away to heal in healthier environs. As the world around them careens out of control, this unlikely pair fall fast in love (or is it lust?) and the good doctor considers leaving medicine behind forever. The Hospital recalls that long-ago time in Hollywood when screenwriters could be clever, funny literates like Paddy Chayefsky, and actors gruff, imperfect specimens of complicated manhood like George C. Scott. Chayefsky deservedly won the Screenplay Oscar for his biting, satirical script and Scott also got nominated for his expert handling of an extremely demanding role. In particular, his character's mid-film monologue on the state of his life sears the screen. Don't miss this outstanding, jet-black satire on the malaise afflicting our modern, supposedly civilized society.

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Getting Religion: The Ten Best Films on Faith

Is religion indeed the opiate of the masses? Judging by the number of movies made on the subject, you'd be tempted to think so.

Regardless of whether you believe in a higher power, it is impossible to deny the pervasive influence of organized religion through history, and need I add, not always for the good.

There are those who claim that religion has been responsible for losing as many lives as it's saved. Certainly devastating wars have been launched, and forces of prejudice and intolerance harbored, in its name.

It has also done an enormous amount of good, at the very least giving countless people hope who had no tangible basis to feel any.

I suppose that in the final analysis, religion is what we humans have made of it, good and bad. Perhaps that's what makes it such a fascinating subject for film.

Here then are my candidates for the top ten films dealing with faith and spirituality:

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)- Imprisoned by her many accusers, religious mystic Joan of Arc (Maria Falconetti) faces a gauntlet of interrogators, including powerful Bishop Pierre Cauchon (Eugene Silvain). After numerous threats and recriminations, with her fate decided, Joan is given one last opportunity to recant. Carl Theodor Dreyer's sensational, groundbreaking depiction of the trial of 15th-century Christian martyr St. Joan of Arc was one of the first on-screen realizations of the principle that film is "the seventh art." Though Dreyer's print was lost for 50 years, its eventual recovery and restoration guaranteed that others would finally be able to appreciate its sublime, expressionistic qualities. Mobile camerawork, unconventional angles, and inspired direction of the entire cast are its legacy, as are haunting close-ups of Falconetti's noble visage. Suffering never looked this good.

Black Narcissus (1947)- When young Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) is asked to open a convent-hospital in a former brothel perched high above a small village in India, she readily agrees, despite knowing hardships lie ahead. Once there, she's greeted by a sardonic Englishman, Mr. Dean (David Farrar), who takes great delight in ruffling Sister Clodagh's habit. But it's jealous, unstable Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron) who eventually succumbs to the dark allure of the exotic, windswept setting. Another great success for the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, Narcissus shines as an absorbing, sensitively acted melodrama about the secular problems facing a new mother superior in an unfamiliar, potentially hostile new environment. The directors even stirred controversy by developing a subtle yet wholly credible sexual tension between the luminous Kerr and handsome Farrar. Jack Cardiff's Oscar-winning Technicolor photography and Alfred Junge's hand-crafted art design give this film exceptional production values to boot. And Kathleen Byron's celebrated turn as the unhinged Sister Ruth climaxes in a suspenseful sequence that's hard to forget.

Diary of A Country Priest (1951)- Arriving in the small community of Ambricourt, a novice parish priest (Claude Laydu) has trouble connecting to the people he is meant to serve, especially after a local Count (Jean Riveyre) warns him to wield his moral authority lightly. Devout but awkward, the young priest is further hampered by ill health, which forces him to adopt an austere diet of bread and wine. Isolated and unsure of his ultimate purpose, the ailing curate eventually experiences a crushing crisis of faith. Robert Bresson's exquisite, affecting study of a young priest's spiritual travails endures as a major achievement in world cinema. Priest is minimalist in style, with Laydu's restrained performance eliciting our empathy and subtly attuning us to his character's inner struggles. Bresson handles the details brilliantly, his unadorned elegance and intensity permeating the mood, set design, and action. "Priest" is a sublime film that will reward attentive viewers with a profound meditation on life, faith, and purpose.

The Nun's Story (1959)- Devout, kindhearted Belgian girl Gabrielle (Audrey Hepburn) takes vows and becomes Sister Luke, a nun who achieves her dream of working in the Belgian Congo and ministering to the infirm, yet not without difficulties of conscience. Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch), a gifted surgeon who senses Luke's inner struggle to meet her spiritual commitment, becomes a challenging presence. But the outbreak of war presents Sister Luke with an even bigger crisis of faith. Fred Zinnemann's first-rate but largely overlooked feature showcases the luminous Hepburn in her prime, as in her transformation, she contemplates hardship, devotion, and a very special kind of self-realization. A literate, nuanced drama with size, scope and color, the film boasts superb location photography and uniformly fine performances, both from the young leads and two English Dames: Edith Evans and Peggy Ashcroft, as senior nuns who guide Sister Luke along her often thorny path. Story is an affecting, heartfelt epic of inner struggle.

A Man For All Seasons (1966)- When the Pope refuses King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) an annulment of his marriage to a barren wife, Henry declares a break with Rome, nominates himself spiritual regent of the newly christened Church of England, and demands that his Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield), recognize him. With his allegiance divided between the throne and the Catholic Church, More demurs, until circumstances force him to make a choice. An outstanding adaptation of Robert Bolt's play by Nun's Story director Fred Zinnemann, Seasons revisits the ill-fated conflict between Henry VIII and More, building upon the film's central ethical issue: Whether More will sacrifice his life in defense of moral truth. Scofield won an Oscar for his shaded portrayal of Thomas, Shaw is magnificent playing a fiery Henry, and cameos by Orson Welles, Susannah York, and Leo McKern round out a sterling cast. A box-office hit, Seasons will resonate with anyone who's ever had a crisis of conscience.

Jesus Of Nazareth (1977)- This landmark six-hour mini-series tells the story of Jesus Christ (Robert Powell), from birth in Bethlehem to the Virgin Mary (Olivia Hussey) to death on the cross at Golgotha by order of Pontius Pilate (Rod Steiger), and its effect on his twelve apostles. Franco Zeffirelli's international all-star production is no Last Temptation of Christ -- nor a grotesque death march a la Passion of the Christ. Reverent, enthralling, and faithful to the Gospels, this solemn, sensitive film is epic in scope, yet unfolds at a contemplative pace. With elaborate staging, desert locations, and a haunting score, this film etches into memory with iconic power. And that cast: Michael York, James Earl Jones, Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, and many other big names fill out supporting roles, while crystal-eyed Powell manages to embody both the majesty and mystery of the Biblical Son of God.

Why Has Bodhi Dharma Left For The East? (1989)- At a remote mountaintop retreat, an aged, ailing Zen master shares his spiritual wisdom with a young monk and an orphan boy he has taken in out of kindness. The days pass slowly, but bit by bit, through an ascetic regimen that honors the inevitable cycle of life, death, and rebirth, the two acolytes are guided along the path of enlightenment. Bae Yong-Kyun, a painter by trade from South Korea, spent years laboring over this profound film, a kind of tone poem that attempts to express what is ultimately inexpressible: the spiritual sublime. In place of dialogue and narrative action, he gives us rich life lessons and spellbinding images of nature. Whether you think of it as a Buddhist riddle (termed a "koan"), a mystical allegory, or an inner-world travelogue; if you're in the right frame of mind, you will surely be fascinated by Bae's highly intelligent, visually arresting film.

Jesus Of Montreal (1990)- Wanting to modernize a long-running Passion Play in his Montreal parish so it will be relevant to a wider audience, Catholic priest Father Le Clerc (Gilles Pelletier) hires Daniel (Lothai Bluteau), an intense young actor, to mount a new production. Daniel researches his role as Christ, gathers a motley cast of veteran players, and mounts a daring and provocative re-telling of the Biblical tale that horrifies Le Clerc but becomes a smash hit in Quebec. Here, French Canadian director Denys Arcand broaches a controversial subject-the historical accuracy of Christ's crucifixion and the true message of his teachings-with flair and fearlessness. This wholly unique feature offers much more than a backstage drama: Daniel's quest to find his actors mirrors that of Jesus finding his disciples, and life imitates religious art in many thought-provoking ways throughout Montreal. Arcand finds plenty of opportunities to critique modern life, too, while staging "the greatest story ever told."

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring (2003)- At a floating monastery on a placid lake, an older monk teaches the Buddhist way of life to a young boy, whose maturation is reflected in the passing of the seasons, and the different life stages which accompany each. Years later, after a sojourn in the outside world clouded by lust and violence, the boy -- now a jaded young man -- returns seeking shelter from the law, only to find unexpected redemption. A film that evokes a striking visual and spiritual purity, Korean director Kim Ki-duk's Spring, Summer is ideal for those seeking a profound, contemplative movie experience. Yet the film is by no means heavy-going; in fact, its simplicity and spare beauty create a soothing, entrancing effect. On a deeper level, we sense universal forces at work in this tale, with the passage of time reflecting a continual cycle of pre-destined occurrences that traverse good and evil, innocence and cruelty. Arresting and unusual, Kim's Spring is a cinematic balm for the soul and senses.

Into Great Silence (2005)- In this intimate doc, we get a never-before-seen glimpse of the daily lives and rituals of the Grande Chartreuse, an 11th-century monastery inhabited by modern-day Carthusian monks, whose vows of silence and poverty guide them to states of profound inner holiness. Whether tending the grounds, feeding the cats, or barbering each other after morning prayers, the Carthusians live a life of beautiful simplicity and austerity, untouched by the cares and demands of the outside world. Philip Groning waited 16 years for permission to film these pious men, and then spent six months in their wordless company, filming alone and only with available light. Shunning music and voiceover narration, Groning's observational style is as pure as the monks' lifestyle of work and prayer, seducing us into appreciating their very singular and private mode of worship.

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