Weekly Must Watch List: First Edition

THIS WEEK’S PICKS BY OSCAR DE LEON

Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN
(Netflix, Criterion Channel)
What makes this film so great is how freewheelin' it feels. Beyond the fact that the entire film is about a road trip, Lubezski's cinematography and the performances of the trio really capture the feeling of just doing stuff for the sake of fun. This, of course, is contrasted by the political unrest happening in the background of the film which I think is a stroke of brilliance. I can't really explain why but the scene of Maribel Verdú dancing and staring directly into the camera is one of my favorite scenes of all time. Also a great companion piece to Children of Men!
View trailer here.

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
(Criterion Channel)
Wong Kar Wai is one of the masters I humbly bow to. This film has been deeply influential to a lot of moody character dramas of the 2010s and I don't think it gets enough credit. I mean, Xavier Dolan basically ripped it off, beat for beat, in Heartbeats (2010) and its fingerprints are all over Moonlight (2016). Tony Leung & Maggie Cheung are perfect together and that's what makes it so sad. It's a story about two people hurt by their partners with no one to turn to but each other.  It's an aching portrait of unrequited love.
View trailer here.

THE MASTER
(Netflix)
When I talk to people about this film, I generally see their eyes glaze over with confusion but it's, in my opinion, one of Paul Thomas Anderson's three masterpieces (in third place behind Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood). Everything about this film is gorgeous from the cinematography to the set design and, honestly, the story which seems to be less about a subversive take on the Scientology mythos and more about broken men needing Masters and even more broken men needing to rule over other people. It's a fucked up love story and Joaquin Phoenix and the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman knock it out the of the fucking park.
View trailer here.

A SERIOUS MAN
(Netflix)
I feel like this is one of the Coen brothers’ most underappreciated films. It's a pitch-black comedy about the depth of quiet desperation some men will endure. Let's face it, Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is kind of a loser and that makes everything that goes wrong for him all the more hilarious. The fact that this film opens with a frame story about an ancient curse is some of that classic Coen brothers’ brilliance *Chef’s Kiss*.
View trailer here.

THE NICE GUYS
(HBO)
Another underappreciated gem. Shane Black's drunk-noir is a series of hilarious left turns. I think this is one of Gosling's best roles and harkens back to those great late 80s action films that were willing to take a risk with convention. On a personal note, it also mixes three of my favorite things: period films about the porn industry, movies about bumbling idiots, and homages to Laurel and Hardy.
View trailer here.

BONUS
AMORES PERROS
(Vudu)
You can watch this one for free but with ads which is kind of a bummer. We're coming up on the 20th anniversary and it's the single most influential film for me, personally. I watched it for the first time at the age of 16 and blew me away. It's a difficult, devastating, and sometimes hideous film, but what shines through like a beam of light is the utter humanity you can feel radiating off of every frame. The story revolves around the relationships these people have with their dogs and how much they love them more than they love the people around them and how, by our own destructive nature, we pass that on to the creatures that only know what you show them. It offers you a choice: continue with your destructive path or embrace humanity. It's a deeply beautiful film.
View trailer here.