Movies in 2026 239

 

Un Carnet de Bal (Julien Duvivier, 1937)

Last night I once again delved into the Julien Duvivier collection on the Criterion Channel, and once again I was not disappointed. Un Carnet de Bal didn't feel quite like some of Duvivier's classic poetic realism films, but it was still quite good. Marie Bell stars as Christine Surgere, a recent and young widow who fells that life now has no meaning, while also coming to grips with the fact that she'd been lonely her entire married life. She decides to pursue men who had signed her dance card on her first ball when she was sixteen years old, beginning an odyssey populated by old (hopeful) lovers, played by a legion of famous French actors: Harry Baur (as Alain Regnault), Pierre Blanchar (as Thierry Raynal). Fernandel (as Fabien Coutissol), Louis Jouvet (as Pierre Verdier), etc. You see this structure fairly often as told from the male perspective, so it was interesting to see it told from a woman's perspective. Her discovered former dance partners - romanticized in her memory and imagination - are leading very different lifestyles, some quite life-affirming and some quite disturbing. The ending is both redemptive and more than a bit disturbing. Highly recommended.

Movies in 2026 238

 

Any Number Can Win (Henri Verneuil, 1963)

The other night I rewatched a film that showcased the alpha and omega of French cinematic cool: Jean Gabin and Alain Delon. They starred together (in, I think, for the only time) in the classic heist film Any Number Can Win. The film focuses on Mister Charles (Gabin), a wizened and world weary criminal just out of jail, and his impetuous young partner (Francis Verlot), who try one last big score. It ends badly, mainly because of some bad luck (as had haunted Mister Charles on his two other failed scores) but mainly because of the headstrong carelessness of Francis. The ending is classic, and is the relationship between these two legendary French actors. Highly recommended.

Movies in 2026 237

 

The Red Balloon (Albert Lamorisse, 1956)

For years I've heard of Albert Lamorisse's The Red Balloon but had somehow never seen it. Thankfully, the Criterion Channel never gives up on the exhausting chore of educating me (again, growing up in Indiana is hard to overcome). Last night I was finally able to watch it, and what a treasure it is. It tells the story of a young boy (played Lamorisse's son Pascal) who discovers a beautiful red balloon, who follows him around Paris. So many adults and other jealous children try to take the balloon away, and in the end finally destroy it. This leads to all the other balloons in Paris arriving and flying Pascal away. It's an extraordinary allegory of a child's innocence and hope and attraction to beauty, in the face of a cold materialistic world. There's also definitely a spiritual theme playing itself out. Essential viewing.

Movies in 2026 236

 

Pauline at the Beach (Eric Rohmer, 1983)

I know I've admitted before that I'm not that huge of a fan of French New Wave, which is probably more of a testament to my total lack of sophistication. The significance of the French New Wave is undeniable, but I simply go back and forth of so many of the films - loving some films from Jean-Luc Godard and Agnes Varda and Francois Truffaut and Jacques Demy and Alain Resnais, but also being left quite cold by others. Essentially, maybe I'll just fall back on the tried and true, I respect their work immense, but I just don't consistently like it. Similarly, I've been slow to come to the works of Eric Rohmer, and he, I think more than the others, is almost a day to day reflection of what kind of mood I'm in. Sometimes I think, "Please, for the love of god, will you just stop talking," and other days I'll think, "He's really sharing some essential truth here." Last night I re-watched his 1983 film Pauline at the Beach, which I liked a lot more than my first viewing. It focuses on fifteen year old Pauline (played by Amanda Langlet) who tries to figure out life and love and sex, and also why all of the actual adults in the film are such assholes. I would definitely recommend it.

Movies in 2026 235

 

They Were Five (Julien Duvivier, 1936)

I'm definitely enjoying the Criterion Channel's Julien Duvivier collection this month, although I've already seen several of his films. The other night I watched his 1936 film They Were Five, starring Jean Gabin (playing Jeannot), Charles Vanel (as Charlot), and Raymond Aimos (as Tintin). It's a story of five friends, down on their luck, who win some money and decide to open a restaurant on an island, both to make some money but especially as a symbol of their friendship. I think it's a bit too easy to read the film as misogynistic today, mainly because their plans and friendship is torn asunder by the women in their lives, but I think it's more of a statement on the strength and fragility of male friendship - that is, the flaw is within them. Plus, there's a whole deeper allegory going on here abut the rise and fall of the Popular Front, although a failure to take it to that allegorical depth will not damage your enjoyment of the film. Gabin is, as always, fantastic. I didn't know much about Raymond Aimos, who sounds like a very interesting character, who never forgot his friends, organized food drives, and opened up a restaurant to feed hungry children. Nevertheless, he was shot and killed, maybe just accidentally, by a Resistance fighter during the chaos of Paris being liberated. They Were Five is definitely recommended.

Movies in 2026 234

 

The Last Temptation of Christ (Martin Scorsese, 1988)

I know this is a blasphemous statement, but I'm not really that big of a Martin Scorsese fan. I appreciate his films, but I don't know if I actually love any of them. I've never made a list, but I'm not certain he would make my list of top five greatest American directors. However, this may simply be an issue of a purely personal subjective taste, because I do respect him quite a bit. I especially appreciate his attempts to break away and try different things, such as his adaption of The Age of Innocence. Another example of this was his ambitious attempt to  tackle Nikos Kazantzakis's The Last Temptation of Christ. I had not seen it since the year it came out, and my re-watch the other night left me feeling much the same way: it's both an over-criticized but also over-praised film. The people who criticized it for being blasphemous (and probably never saw it, for that matter) clearly missed the point of the film. It's a spiritual reflection on the unique nature of Jesus's nature and also of faith itself. At the same time, I think it misses far more than it hits, and I suspect that a lot of the critical praise was a response to the criticism from religious fanatics. It's worth watching, and it has some lovely moments.

Movies in 2026 233

 

Zabriskie Point (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1970)

I took a flyer on a film the other night that doesn't have a particularly good reputation (which has never stopped me in the past): Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabriskie Point. I've seen it described as the worst film ever from a director of genius. I don't know if I'd go that far, although it was pretty dreadful, long and mainly pointless. It's hard to reconcile this film with absolute classics like L'Avventura, La Notte, L'Eclisse, Red Desert, and Blowup. It's full of no name actors giving no name performances of uninspired lines. I'd give it a pass if I were you, although it's received a little more love the last few years from critics.

Movies in 2026 232

 

Pepe le moko (Julien Duvivier, 1937)

The Criterion Channel is currently featuring a Julien Duvivier collection right now, which gave me a chance to rewatch his brilliant and highly influential 1937 film Pepe le moko, one of the highlights of the French poetic realism movement (several other examples of which were featured earlier this year). It stars the immortal Jean Gabin, which is really all you'd ever need to know if you're deciding whether to watch a film or not. He's a French criminal who would really love to get back to Paris, but he's trapped in the winding backstreets of the Algiers casbah. As long as he's ensconced there he's safe, but if he's drawn out then things get much more dangerous. His life is made much more difficult by Inspector Slimane (Lucas Gridoux), who lives in the casbah, and who Pepe knows he should kill, but who he lets live because of his peculiar code of honor - and also because of the two women competing for his attention, Gaby (played by Mireille Balin, whose real life story would make a great novel about France's complicated relationship to World War II) and Ines (Line Noro). Highly recommended.

Movies in 2026 231

 

Lars and the Real Girl (Craig Gillespie, 2007)

The other night I was finally able to convince Janet to watch Craig Gillespie's wonderful 2007 film Lars and the Real Girl. I had been pushing it for a while, but after Janet and her friend Jana watched Project Hail Mary the other night she was in the mood for another Ryan Gosling movie. I am always wont to opine that it was Lars and the Real Girl that convinced me that Ryan Gosling is actually a very good actor, and I'll stick with that. It really is a great movie, and one that I didn't bother to watch in the theaters because I, thankfully incorrectly, thought that it looked like a one note sex comedy. It's actually a layered film about loss and love and community. It's also a film that makes me cry every time. Gosling gives a wonderful performance, totally against type, as the bumbling and painfully introverted Lars. Patricia Clarkson (who I believe knows a good script better than any actor alive today) gives a lovely performance as Dr. Dagmar Berman, who helps hold everything together. Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider play Lars's sister-in-law Karin and her husband Gus (and in many ways the film is as much about Gus's story arc as it is about Lars's). Kelli Garner is funny and heartbreaking as Lars's would-be girlfriend Margo, and my students (I routinely showed this film in class when we discussed Feminist and Queer theory) rooted for Lars and Margo so hard. It's only sad when I think that Gillespie never came even remotely close to directing a film this good ever again. Highly recommended.

Movies in 2026 230

 

Carita de Cielo (Jose Diaz Morales, 1947)

I blew through the Criterion Channel's Rumberas collection (again, that odd, but utterly enjoyable, mishmash of film noir, social commentary, and off the chart musical) when I watched Jose Diaz Morales's 1947 movie Carita de Cielo. It starred Maria Elena Marques and Antonio Badu, although it's mainly, and rightly, known for being Ninon Sevilla's (the greatest star of Rumberas films) first movie. She has two illogical in regards to the plot - but amazing - dance routines. It's amazing how sexually charged her performances were, utterly unlike anything you would have seen in US films at the same time (or for years to come). Beyond her performance the film is forgettable, and it doesn't have any of the social commentary which sparks the other Rumberas films in the collection. Still, it's Ninon Sevilla, FFS, so you might give it a watch.

Movies in 2026 229

 

Hokum (Adam Scott, 2026)

And the second half of my unexpected horror doubleheader was Damien McCarthy's Hokum. It tells the story of a very skeptical writer, who is also more than a bit of a total jerk, who travels to a town in Ireland to spread his parents ashes. I didn't like it as much as Obsession, but I still liked it quite a bit, and there were some very creepy moments. Adam Scott gives a fine performance as the writer. There are so unlikeable characters in the film that it's difficult to care more about them, but it was still a finely crafted piece. Recommended.

Movies in 2026 228

 

Obsession (Curry Barker, 2025)

Yesterday I enjoyed a rare movie doubleheader (not in the Criterion Channel universe, obviously) when I was able to watch a movie with my son in the afternoon and another one with Janet in the evening. Plus, they were both recent releases, this was almost unheard-of. Gary had texted me in the morning to ask if I wanted to see a movie, and, like all dads, I jumped at the opportunity to spend time with my son (well, not my dad, naturally, but others). He suggested that we watch last year's huge hit, Curry Barker's Obsession, which I had somehow never seen. I don't know what I need to say about it, since I'm probably the last person in North America to see it. I can say that I definitely liked it. It's not a terribly original story, in that it's about a wish for love that goes terribly awry, but it was beautifully constructed - especially the cinematography. Inde Navarette, as Nikki, was especially  good. Highly recommended.

Movies in 2026 227

 

The Cup (Khyentse Norbu, 1999)

And now, not surprisingly, I'm disappearing down a Khyentse Norbu rabbit hole, the Bhutanese director (and much more) whose film, Travellers & Magicians, I watched the other night. Last night I watched his first film, The Cup (1999). It tells the story, apparently based on actual events, of some monks who  come up with a scheme to acquire (temporarily) a TV and satellite dish - and in the process convince the head of their monastery of the brilliance of this plan - so that they could watch the World Cup final match. A very sweet film, and highly recommended.

Movies in 2026 226

 

The Sheep Detectives (Kyle Balda, 2026)

Not every movie that you see is one that you would have normally chosen to watch, obviously, but that doesn't mean that it was a bad time. Last night Janet wanted to watch The Sheep Detectives, and while I was not that enthusiastic, it was a pretty fun movie. If you're reading this post you already know more about the movie than I do, so I won't repeat the story. I definitely enjoyed it more than Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (which I'm obviously continuing to dump on - and the characters were more fully realized).

Movies in 2026 225

 

Amateur (Hal Hartley, 1994)

As part of my goal of re-reading beloved books (Proust's In Search of Lost Time) and re-watching films (John Ford's The Searchers, etc.) before the big move so that I'll survive not initially bringing them, I gave another viewing to Hal Hartley's Amateur. It tells the story of Thomas, who has amnesia and is on a journey to regain his memory - with a lovely Hartley-esque scene wherein Thomas sits on a bench next to a kid reading the Odyssey. The kid explains the Odyssey to Thomas, who in turn gives him a nudie magazine. It's a classic Hartley moment, and a key one, as we discover that Thomas, pre-injury (he had been pushed out a window) was a very bad guy (although he never learns the whole truth, or, to paraphrase Hartley himself, the unbelievable truth). There are wonderful performances from Hartley regulars from Martin Donovan (as Thomas), Eline Lowensohn (as Sofia), and Damian Young (as Edward), although the film is stolen by Isabelle Huppert (her appearance in the film says everything that you need to know in regards to how Hartley is beloved by true professionals - although now he usually crowd sources funds for his movie - from me included, happily - because we live in a nation of idiots). She plays Isabelle, an ex-nun who describes herself as a nymphomaniac, although she's a virgin. It features a typically wonderful Hal Hartley ending ("Yes . . . I know this man."). It's not my favorite of his films, but, like all Hal Hartley films, it is essential viewing.

Movies in 2026 224

 

Travellers and Magicians (Khyentse Norbu, 2003)

What, another Bhutanese movie? The Criterion Channel is featuring a collection of Khyentse Norbu films, and the other night I watched Travellers and Magicians. It tells the story of Dondup, a local official, who is fixated on leaving his tiny village and going to America, and his slow and halting journey to make it out of Bhutan. It is chock full of beautiful pictures of Bhutan, and, not surprisingly, you get the idea that in the end he won't go, although the movie doesn't take that simple Wizard of Oz approach. Dondup is played by Tshewang Dendup, who I believe is the only professional actor in the movie. While watching the film I kept thinking about how much more satisfying this film about an epic journey was than Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Norbu himself is a fascinating character, being, in addition to a filmmaker, also a Tibetan Lama and a writer. Highly recommended.

Movies in 2026 223

 

Ride in the Whirlwind (Monte Hellman, 1966)

Obviously, not every film that I watch on the Criterion Channel ends up being one that I love, or even like for that matter. Last night I watched Monte Hellman's 1966 Ride in the Whirlwind, which is featured in this month's Harry Dean Stanton collection. I suppose now it's mainly known for co-starring a young Jack Nicholson, who also wrote the screenplay and co-produced it. The film is a western that is sort of about mis-placed justice/vengeance, but it's also pretty muddled. If you're a Jack Nicholson or Harry Dean Stanton - or Millie Perkins or Cameron Mitchell - completist, you might check it out. Otherwise, you would be better off watching William Wellman's 1943 The Ox-Bow Incident (starring Henry Fonda and Dana Andrews), which is a much better exploration of vigilate justice.

Movies in 2026 222

 

Theory of Achievement (Hal Hartley, 1991)

The other short on the Surviving Desire DVD was Hartley's 1991 Theory of Achievement, which definitely felt like a Hal Hartley movie, with the quick banter, seemingly random conversation loops, and beloved actors who appear throughout his films: Bill Sage, Elina Lowensohn, and Mark Chandler Bailey. It's a reflection on art and wealth and class, all through a very Hartley lens. You should check it out.

Movies in 2026 221

 

Ambition (Hal Hartley, 1991)

I also took the opportunity to watch a couple early Hal Hartley shorts, which were included on the Surviving Desire DVD. In a previous post I raised the question of why I don't watch more short films, including from directors I already love, and so I'm trying to explore more of them. Ambition, which stars George Feaster, Hannah Sullivan, and Rick Groel) tells the story of a young artist who aims for success but mainly ends up in random (appropriately comical, this is Hartley after all) fights. It's interesting to see Hartley working through themes that he would revisit much more successfully later in his career.

Movies in 2026 220

 

Surviving Desire (Hal Hartley, 1992)

As I've discussed, one of my challenges is determining what books and movies I bring with me to Sicily, especially on these early days (made more pressing because we're, apparently, going to be stuck in a tiny one bedroom for at least the first six months, but that's an aggravation for another day). Eventually, I'd love to have most of my books and movies, but I don't see that happening for a long time (probably more than I actually have left). Anyway, I definitely want to bring a few of my Hal Hartley DVDs, because he tends to not show up on the Criterion Channel very often, and, more importantly, because his films simply give me a lot of joy. The other night I watched one of my all-time favorites, Hartley's 1992 film Surviving Desire. It was released in the middle of his Long Island Trilogy (The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Simple Men), and shares many of the same themes - and actors - as those classic films. It also features an impromptu dance number, clearly an homage to Godard's Band of Outsiders, which sets the stage for the Hartley unexpected dance number in Simple Men. Martin Donovan plays a disinterested college professor (Jude) who falls for one of his students (Mary B. Ward as Sofie, clearly a play on the Sophia, the Greek word for wisdom), but, because it's Hartley, it transcends this well worn trope and ends up as a funny and thoughtful rumination on the folly of love and desire. As his friend Henry (Matt Malloy) warns him, "You won't survive her," to which Jude responds, "I don't think I want to." It was great to see Rebecca Nelson, who was so good in Trust, in a memorable role as a woman stopping people on the street to ask them to marry her (she may be the only sane person in the film). Surviving Desire includes one of my favorite opening scenes, where Jude keeps re-reading a paragraph of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. They spend weeks on it, leading to the students losing their minds throwing things at him, which results in him throwing things back at them (any student who ever had me in class would appreciate that). The last scene, with Sofie, working in a bookstore, quietly asking people obliviously moving around her if she can help them, is brilliant. Absolutely essential viewing.