The Batman (2022) - 4/5

This movie is yet another reinvention of Batman, this time both more grounded and more gritty than Nolan’s trilogy. It chooses style over convention many times, which could have made the chase scenes hard to follow, for example, but the direction masterfully guides the audience to keep up with the action. Pattinson is good as Bruce Wayne but really shines as Batman, and the script focuses on the intimidatingly silent detective more than the super-human super-rich super-hero. The Riddler’s riddles aren’t sublime, but they’re more than good enough to carry keep the audience intrigued until the answers are revealed. This film’s primary sin is its length, clocking in at four minutes shy of three hours, when a deft editor could have trimmed it down by a solid half hour if he had been allowed to do so.

Closest comparison: It’s like Batman Begins by way of Joker (2019).

Setting: Crime
Plot: Detective
Tone: Thriller

Miller's Crossing - 5/5

This is the kind of movie that you have to pay close attention to, because if you miss a line you very well may be lost for the rest of the run time. But because of the intricate nature of the backstabbing mafia plot the dialogue makes the audience pay just as close attention as the characters, constantly wondering what is doublespeak, and where each person’s loyalties truly lie. Most movies and shows try to accomplish this with invented drama but here it’s all mechanical, reliant on tangible necessities not fabricated strife. The Coen Brothers are in top form here, with dialogue so rich they had to tone it down in future movies to appeal to a wider audience.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Godfather that’s not trying to win an Oscar, with two mobs for the price of one.

Setting: Gangster
Plot: Thriller
Tone: Drama

Do the Right Thing - 4/5

This movie carefully and thoroughly paints a scene of the dangers of racial tribalism and the destruction it causes in otherwise peaceful communities. It sets up the opposing ideologies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, then dismantles the latter in a tense demonstration of the chaos that that ideology brings to the table. Every character is vibrant and, though now very dated, still clearly motivated and relatable (to an extent). Some of the acting comes off as stilted and there are a lot of pop culture references that didn’t age well, but that doesn’t interfere with the point the film is trying to make.

Closest Comparison: It’s like a ‘90s rendition of Crash (2004)

Setting: Day in the Life
Plot: Thriller
Tone: Drama

The Big Lebowski - 3/5

Even though this quickly became a cult classic, it’s too weird and rambling to be truly great. Of course, there are some truly great moments and infinitely quotable dialogue, but then there are all the parts people forget about. It’s certainly worth a watch if you haven’t seen it, just for the cultural touchpoint, but it doesn’t even really have a point beyond ‘look at all the crazy stuff that’s happening’. This is what happens when ‘quirky’ goes too far and doesn’t have substance to back it up.

Closest Comparison: It’s like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by way of Fargo.

Setting: Modern
Plot: Thriller
Tone: Comedy

O Brother, Where Art Thou? - 5/5

Arguably the Coen Brothers’ best film, this movie exhibits all the characteristics of the signature Coen Brothers style: humor by repetition, beautiful cinematography, a host of famous and quirk actors, and an impeccable soundtrack. Without the direct reference to the Odyssey it would probably have been seen as having too many seeming non-sequiturs, but as it is it’s perfectly matched to the ‘source’ material. It’s a hilarious movie and constantly plays coy with the idea that there may be supernatural elements in play. Immensely quotable, immediately classic, and unforgettably quirky, this movie is certainly a timeless masterpiece.

Closest Comparison: It’s what would happen if There Will Be Blood were funny and based on the Odyssey.

Setting: The Dustbowl South
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Comedy