December 26, 2018
Newman plays Frank Galvin, a washed-up, alcoholic lawyer who takes on a medical malpractice suit to improve his own life, with little care for the victim in the case. But that changes. Imo, this is the best acting by any person in any movie of any year. Yet, like Noami Watts for The Impossible, he didn't win the Oscar.
Director: Sidney Lumet
Writers: David Mamet (screenplay)
Cast: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason
IMDb: 7.8
Where: Max Go, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
Two young reporters for the Washington Post, investigating a break-in at the Democratic Party Headquarters, stumble onto a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. A masterfully edited movie that can be watched again and again. Pakula also directed The Pelican Brief and Sophie’s Choice.
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden
IMDb: 8.0
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
Streep plays Baroness Karen von Blixen, a wealthy unmarried Danish woman who goes to Africa to set up a plantation. Trouble ensues. While there, she runs into the big-game hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford). Romance ensues. One of Meryl Streep’s best movies.
Director: Sydney Pollack (The Firm; Three Days of the Condor)
Cast: Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer
IMDb: 7.2
Where to Watch: iTunes, Amazon On-Demand
A mild-mannered CIA codebreaker goes out briefly for lunch, then comes back to find that all his fellow employees have been murdered. Going on the run, he must figure out who’s after him and why, while evading a ruthless hitman. A well-done political thriller.
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson
IMDb: 7.5
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
Two con men in 1930s Chicago decide to take revenge on the crime boss responsible for their friend’s death. For the con, they decide to use a scam called “the wire,” which involves a phony betting parlor. Great movie with a great ending. Newman and Redford were on a roll in the 70’s and 80’s. Winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Director: George Roy Hill
Cast: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw
IMDb: 8.3
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
A former cat burglar is forced to leave his retired, peaceful life in order to catch the thief who is mimicking his style and stealing jewels in his name. A beautifully photographed Hitchcock classic that has humor, suspense, and a witty romance.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis
IMDb: 7.5
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
An innocent, New York ad executive is mistaken for a government agent, and subsequently chased across the U.S. by a heartless spy and his group of thugs. Another suspense classic from Hitchcock, but maybe his best for cinematography.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason
IMDb: 8.4
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
Confined to a wheelchair, a news photographer with a broken leg spends his time observing the lives of his neighbors in his courtyarded apartment complex. When he believes he witnesses a murder, he tries to convince his nurse and girlfriend, and enlist their aid in catching the killer. Considered one of Hitchcock’s best.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey
IMDb: 8.5
Where: Starz, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
A woman returns home from vacation to discover that her husband has been murdered and all their money is gone. Various strange people pursue her, believing that her husband has left behind a large fortune somewhere. The charming but mysterious man she met while on vacation also turns up. Who can be trusted? A movie full of action, suspense, comedy, and romance, with two of the best.
Director: Stanley Donen
Cast: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau
IMDb: 8.0
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
A retired boxer leaves America and returns to his native Ireland to reclaim his family’s farm. He falls in love with a fiery redhead, but her brother refuses to hand over her dowry because he wants the farm for himself. John Wayne’s best movie, imo. A great romantic comedy. For more Maureen O’Hara, see the delightful The Parent Trap (1961).
Director: John Ford
Cast: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald
IMDb: 7.9
Where: Tribeca Shortlist, iTunes, Amazon On Demand