The Long Goodbye (1973) - 3/5

This is a sleazy ‘70s version of a ‘40s noir detective thriller, and it works out for the most part. Elliott Gould gives the performance of his career in his own take on the legendary Bogart character, chewing the scenery and irresistibly becoming the best thing about this movie by far. The plot meanders to its passable destination by a workable route, building the world more than the suspense and delivering neither more nor less than it promises. Your enjoyment of this film will vary directly by how much you enjoy or are bothered by its sleaze.

Content warning: female nudity

Closest comparison: It’s like The Big Sleep (1946) by way of Chinatown (1974).

Setting: Noir
Plot: Detective
Tone: Crime

Contagion (2011) - 3/5

The most fascinating part of this movie is its predictive qualities, weaving its narrative like CNN coverage of 2020, albeit nine years before it happened. The direction is dry but the acting, cinematography, and editing more than make up for it. The story is grounded and human, taking the good with the bad in a docudrama style that works well for the subject matter. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really go anywhere and can’t manage to pull the threads together in the end.

Content warning: mild gore

Closest comparison: It’s like Munich by way of Babel.

Setting: Spy Thriller
Plot: Disaster
Tone: DocuDrama

The Cat Returns (2002) - 4/5

This movie is exactly the sort of adorable modern fairy tale we’ve come to expect from Studio Ghibli. It’s cute and funny, and has the lyrically anomalous pacing emblematic of the Ghibli line. It’s directed by Morita, but if you like Miyazaki movies and haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

Closest comparison: It’s somewhere between Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro and My Neighbor Totoro.

Setting: Fairy Tale/Modern
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Fairy Tale Adventure

Ocean's Eleven (2001) - 4/5

This is a classic and for good reason. It’s one of the most fun heist films out there and it keeps the action snappy by pairing it with an incredible soundtrack. And it boasts some classic lines like “gaudy monstrosity” that rank right up there with other all-time greats like “you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off”. That being said, it has its flaws. Julia Robert’s character arc is rushed and even thought the heist itself is witty there are aspects that don’t make sense upon close inspection. None of that is enough to keep this from being one of the most fun heist movies ever put to film.

Closest comparison: It’s the casino heist movie by which all others are measured.

Setting: Heist
Plot: Heist
Tone: Comedy