Reviewed by Larry Gleeson during the annual TCM 31 Days of Oscar
North by Northwest, is considered by many to be one of cinema’s greatest films. Director Alfred Hitchcock, a master of suspense, is at the peak of his powers as a director, having been making films in the United States for two decades. In addition, the film’s musical conductor, Bernard Hermann, is at the peak of his powers as a conductor. The result are great, veteran actors, Cary Grant (Caplan, Eva Marie Saint (On the Waterfront), and James Mason (Lolita), who know their cues, and informative non-diegetic, music creating arguably Hitchcock’s best cinematic suspense. Hitchcock and Herman had worked on five films together. This was their sixth and final film working together.
In a typical Hitchcock fashion with cheeky humor, romance, and popular monumental locations – this one is Mount Rushmore – North by Northwest checks all the boxes. And, as most Hitchcock films involve a mystery, chase or revelation, so does this one. Moreover, the audience is treated to espionage. Roger Thornhill (Grant) is a Madison Avenue Ad Man (Mad Men), who is kidnapped, due to mistaken identity, forced to drink a copious amount of bourbon whiskey, by spy Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) and gets put behind the wheel of a convertible at nighttime on a roadway as narrow and treacherous as Pacific Coastal Highway through Big Sur. Eventually, Thornhill winds up in a police station after some dramatic driving and several close calls. He calls his mother, Clara Thornhill (Jesse Royce Landis), highly intoxicated, and has to tell his mother he has not been drinking when she asks. A courtroom appearance for the drunk driving charge has its moments and sharp quips.
But the film heats up energetically when, on a moving train, Eva Kendal (Eva Marie Saint) appears to save Thornhill from capture due to murder at the United Nations. In beautifully orchestrated intimate moments Kendall and Thornhill hit it off over dinner before retiring to her compartment. Seemingly, Thornhill is smitten while Kendall seductively encourages him. The two eventually part ways as Kendall gives Thornhill an address to meet the mysterious Caplan, the man Thornhill was mistaken for in the beginning of the film. Thornhill takes the bait and one of the most recognizable scenes in cinema takes place. Afterwards, Thornhill realizes he’s been set up and confronts Kendall. Kendall begins to reveal her secret identity, all but outright admitting she’d been toying with Thornhill. She also reveals the man she works for, Vandamm, and what he does – he’s a spy. After a hilarious escapade at an auction, the film moves to the Mount Rushmore area in South Dakota.
While North by Northwest is a bit cheeky it is also very stylish and has an air of sophistication. The film was released in December, 1959. With the costuming – think of Mad Men – sharp-looking suits and dresses (Harry Kress), well-groomed characters, and stylish haircuts (Sydney Guilaroff) . As far as the cinematography and mise-en-scen are concerned. I imagine a high angle shot of Thornhill escaping his office building as Vandamm’s thugs are pursuing him, is the impetus for Roger Deakins high angle, rooftop setup in Fargo (1996). North by Northwest was produced by MGM and was the first film Hitchcock made with MGM. According to the American Film Institute’s film catalog details, Hitchcock suggested the murder at the United Nations and the Mount Rushmore scenes.
With the rapid pacing of the film going from one locale and one chase to another – seemingly the film only slows down to capture the chemistry and the intimacy between Grant and Marie Saint – the run time of two hours and sixteen minutes is not only fast, it flies by. I also enjoyed the opening of the film with credits rolling in unique typography juxtaposed against a dynamic green, line-infused background with a very interesting musical composition. And, as he’s known for often doing, Hitchcock has a cameo – one of my favorite discoveries in watching a Hitchcock film. I’m not giving it away. North by Northwest is a “must-see” film. Highest recommendation.
Moulin Rouge (1952), directed by John Huston (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Chinatown), stars Jose Ferrer, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Colette Marchand, and Susan Flo, and is based on the novel, “Moulin Rouge,” by Pierre La Mure. The film was nominated for six Oscars winning two, one for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color (Paul Sheriff, Marcel Vertes), and one for Best Costume Design, Color (Marcel Vertes). Houston makes the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Jose Ferrer), the central character in the fictional narrative. The casting is excellent. The musical score (Lambert Williamson) doesn’t miss a beat. The mise-en-scen is basically responsible for the film’s two Oscars.
The film opens with a text overlay introducing the theme of Moulin Rouge:
“His palette is caked, his brushes are dry, yet the genius of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is as fresh and alive as the day he laid them down. Here, for a brief moment, they shall be restored to his hands, and he and his beloved city and his time shall live again.”
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, born into an old, prominent aristocratic family was a Post-Impressionist (Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, and Serault) painter, caricaturist, print maker, draftsman, and artist. Toulouse-Lautrec broke his legs in adolescence. His legs stopped developing giving him a distorted appearance.
After suffering ridicule at the hands of a woman of equal social standing, Toulouse-Lautrec moved to the Montmarte, the center of bohemian life in Paris. During this time, he began imbibing in alcohol, frequenting brothels, cabarets and dance halls – many of the individuals he encountered became his subject matter. In addition, Toulouse-Lautrec was an early pioneer of poster design, and became a fixture of Parisian nightlife, particularly at the Moulin Rouge, the most popular and scandalous entertainment venue. Many of the Moulin Rouge characters also became fodder for his art. Eventually, Toulouse-Lautrec developed alcoholism, and due to complications, died at the age of 36. His legacy was a collection of elegant, provocative work of bohemian 19th Century Parisian lifestyles.
Throughout film history several films have been made about the infamous Moulin Rouge. A French film was released in 1940, featuring the extraordinary American-born French singer, dancer and actress, Josephine Baker, as Princess Tam-tam. In addition, a 1934 Pre-code, Hollywood musical comedy featured Constance Bennet and Francine Tone as well as a recently restored 1928 silent film with a synchronized soundtrack. The most latest was the somewhat bizarre 2001 musical, Moulin Rouge! by Baz Luhrmann, featuring Nicole Kidman.
Director John Huston was seemingly more interested in recreating Toulouse-Lautrec’s art works than the accuracy of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s life with his Moulin Rouge titled film. Toulouse-Lautrec’ s art works are a visual smorgasbord and are on full display throughout. Huston also hired a color consultant. The resultant mise-en-scen is full of oranges, yellows, and pinks splattered across a blue-green backdrop (Shape of Water). With rarely a dull moment, Huston hit his mark as his Moulin Rouge is eye-catching with colorful costumes, colorful characters, and a compelling narrative. Huston even managed to create a happy ending element that brings a smile to a face. Highly recommended.
Oscar-Worthy Lawyers. To Kill A Mockingbird, a black and white film, based on Harper Lee’s novel of the same title, tells the story of a Deep South attorney, Atticus Finch, who defends a black man accused of rape while teaching his children about the world’s racial prejudices. Gregory Peck embodies Atticus Finch in a credible way with mannerisms, costuming, voice, and intelligence. Finch has two children, a rambunctious, ten-year-old son, Jem (Phillip Alford) and the precocious six-year-old, tomboy, Scout (Mary Badham). The story is set in Depression-era, Maycomb, Alabama, 1932.
While the introductory credits are rolling, non-diegetic, a pair of young hands open a box in a directly overhead frame, a “god shot,” revealing the contents of a cigar box with items that the viewer will see throughout the film. The musical score by Elmer Bernstein competes with the young girls playful humming. The film opens with a descending crane shot revealing a dirt road with a man in the distance walking toward camera as a voice over narration begins, “Maycomb was a tired-old town even in 1932 when I first knew it…there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, although Maycomb County had been told there was nothing to fear but fear itself. That summer I was six years old.”
To Kill A Mockingbird is told through Scout’s eyes presumably in 1962 when the film came out. Mulligan through the narrative voice over segues the viewer into the realities of 1932 in Maycomb, Georgia, with “lazy days,” childhood antics, and coming of age. The viewer is also introduced to Boo Radley (Robert Duvall), Miss Dubose are two colorful characters. Miss Dubose is a crotchety old dame who chides the Finch children for their manners. Boo Radley is an enigmatic figure in the neighborhood with numerous stories circulating about Boo’s behavior. Jem claims Boo is six and a half feet tall and is kept chained to a bed except at night when he’s let out. Furthermore, Jem tells Dill, a character inspired by Harper Lee’s childhood friend, Truman Capote (In Cold Blood), Boo eats squirrels and cats when he’s out at night and drools all the time with popped out eyes.
At the end of the first act, Atticus explains to how he was taught “to kill a mockingbird” was a sin. Atticus explained mockingbirds “just make music for us to enjoy…they sing their hearts out for us. “But when Atticus is selected to publicly defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused and convicted of raping a white woman despite his obvious innocence, the world changes. Leading up to the trial and after, racial prejudice runs rampant. After Mr. Robinson is shot and killed supposedly while trying to escape while he was being driven to prison. In poetic justice, an unlikely hero emerges in the form of Boo Radley at the film’s climactic moment.
The courtroom scenes during the Robinson trial are the film’s most dramatic and telling of the prejudicial injustice embedded within the trial by jury theory in Maycomb County. The presumption of the theory is twelve members of the jury not only come from the community but are also considered peers, and/or social equals – not the case in the trial of Tom Robinson. To Kill A Mockingbird is considered a classic, and rightfully so, in my opinion. The film deals with racial prejudice in a very dramatic manner through the trial of Tom Robinson. Furthermore, the characters are compelling and colorful. While Atticus Finch may not have all the answers for his young children, they both seem to be on the path of righteousness. Highly recommended.
Mildred Pierce, directed by Michael Curtiz, is part of this year’s annual TCM 31 Days of Oscar under the theme, Oscar-worthy Moms. Mildred Pierce, the film’s lead character, is portrayed by Joan Crawford. Crawford came from Broadway and first distinguished herself in film as a “flapper,” with notoriety on par with Greta Garbo. Crawford usually portrayed hard-working women who achieved financial success. When her films began losing money Crawford took a two-year hiatus before returning for Mildred Pierce, another hard-working woman achieving financial success.
The film opens with a dark establishing shot of a car, headlights on, parked in front of a beach house. Gun shots are heard. A transition is made to a gentleman in a black tuxedo receiving the bullets. He falls to the floor and before expiring utters, “Mildred.” Non-diegetic music creates tension and suspense. Shadows move in the frame. A woman drives off through a wisping marine layer. A crime has been committed possibly by a woman named Mildred, a potential femme fatale. Mildred Pierce has all the ingredients of a tasty film noir.
Mildred is no slouch as the film shows her attempting to implicate her ex-lover, Wally, who earlier in the day took a large share of her highly successful business. After the police discover the body, the usual motive-based suspects, are brought in; Burt,the first husband, Wally, and Mildred. It seems everyone in the police department smokes cigarettes with second-hand smoke wafting throughout the common area. Wally and Burt are questioned first. Mildred is finally brought in to talk with Inspector Peterson (Moroni Olsen). The Inspector boastfully tells Mildred he knows everything, and that Mildred is cleared. Before she leaves, Mildred asks the Inspector who the killer was.
The Inspector tells Mildred it was her first husband, Burt Pierce. Mildred says it can’t be Burt and tries to get Wally charged. The Inspector tells Mildred Wally had no motive. Mildred retreats and claims Burt is too kind and gentle. The Inspector jumps on this – questioning Mildred, “Okay he’s kind and wonderful…why did you divorce him?” Dejectedly, Mildred sits back done and begins with, “Because I was wrong. It’s taken me four years to realize I was wrong. But I was wrong.” In a close up with vignetting Mildred begins telling her story from four years ago. A dissolve transition, indicative of time passing, retreats the narrative four years prior,
Mildred details her life with Burt marrying at 17. Burt had misgivings about how Mildred was raising the children Mildred told Burt the kids come first, and he can pack his things. Mildred remarries to a high society gentleman, of reported means, to help give her surviving daughter, Veda (Ann Blyth), a better world. But Mildred can’t seem to do enough for Veda. Veda becomes a conniving, irascible, young woman never appreciating the sacrifices Mildred makes for her. Finally, Mildred has had enough and takes an action well overdue.
Warner Brothers produced Mildred Pierce as a morality story, a fable. The film came out in 1945. World War II had ended. The need for working women diminished and was seen as no longer proper. Women were expected to leave their work and return to the home. Since Mildred Pierce is very successful as a businesswoman, the times propagate she must be punished for not being a happy homemaker. True to form, Mildred loses her hard-fought financial freedom and must confront her life choices. With a fast run time of one hour and fifty-one minutes, Mildred Pierce has strong production values, effective continuity editing, mesmerizing cinematography and a driving musical score. In addition, the film has a compelling narrative and an attractive, well-seasoned cast. Highly recommended.
Cabin in the Sky, another classic film from the 2025 TCM 31 Days of Oscar, directed by Vincente Minelli, is based on a jazz and blues-influenced, musical play with book by Lynn Root, lyrics by John Latouche and music by Vernon Duke. With an all-black cast the film is very dynamic with elements of folklore and spiritual themes. The film came out in 1943. Most all black cast films were known as “race films.” With the Production Code of 1930 in full force, most race films had to have music, religion, and down-home characters. In Cabin in the Sky, the Production Code would not give approval due to the character of Georgia Brown. The character was toned down. Lena Horne, a jazz singer, actress, civil rights activist and one of the first black performers to be signed by a major studio, portrays Georgia Brown.
The story revolves around Little Joe, portrayed by a comedian from the Jack Benny radio show, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson. Little Joe is a compulsive gambler with a devoted and religious wife, Petunia. Petunia is portrayed by Ethel Waters, a well-known Broadway singer. In addition, Waters was the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award, the first African American to star on her won television show, and the first African American nominated for a Primetime Emmy. Petunia wants Joe to repent and be saved by Reverend Green, at the upcoming evening service.
The church is full and the congregation breaking into song as they work themselves up into religious fervor. It is a sight and sound to behold. As repentance begins, Petunia nudges Joe to go on up. Joe isn’t there. Petunia believes Joe has already go up to be saved for his sins. But three hustling polecats distracted Joe, who is now outside the church being coerced into a dice game with Domino Johnson, another ner’ do well. Joe tries to plea he’s given up gambling for Petunia’s sake. But when the hustlers tell Joe, he’ll be rolling with their money, their dice, and that Georgia Brown would be there, Joe seems to lose his will power and is dragged off to the dice game.
At the dice game, Joe loses all the money and is deeply indebted. Joe gets shot and as he lays on his deathbed The Devil and his “coal heavers” have come for Joe. Petunia gets on her knees bedside and prays to God and several of heaven’s soldiers appear to do battle for Joe’s soul. God decides to give Joe six months to turn his life around. But the Devil has given Joe a 1-A classification. This is where the film really gets interesting. New characters are introduced including Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, one of the most influential figures in Jazz history with such classics as “Hello Dolly,” “It’s a Wonderful World,” and “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” among many others. Armstrong is playing the trumpet at the private Hades Hotel Idea Dept., and his cohorts start dancing and clapping when suddenly Lucifer, Jr. (Rex Ingram) comes in and chastises them under the guise of office efficiency.
It doesn’t take the Idea Dept. long to come up with a way to get Joe’s soul. Joe wins the Irish sweepstakes. Lucifer, Jr., sends Georgia Brown to tempt Joe. In a misunderstanding with Petunia Joe goes off with Georgia Brown and is living fast. In a spectacular nightclub scene with Duke Ellington and his Jazz Orchestra, trombone player J.J. Johnson engages the crowd in a one-of-a-kind call and response number. Petunia shows up in a glittering gown and wants half of the money Joe won. Georgia Brown wants a cut, too, and Domino Johnson has come for Joe as well.
Not giving away the ending, suffice to say Cabin in the Sky is an enormously entertaining film. The costuming, set designs, acting, the narrative, and the choreography are special as they are spectacular. The song and dance numbers are fluid and full of vim and verve. Lena Horne, as Georgia Brown, is vivacious with her voice and look. There might be one or two moments where the audience can catch a breather. From start to finish, Cabin in the Sky is a gem. Highly recommended.
Sean Baker, Adrien Brody, Quinta Brunson, Jon M. Chu, Colman Domingo, Jesse Eisenberg, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, Ariana Grande, Edward Norton, RaMell Ross, Zoe Saldaña, Denis Villeneuve and Michelle Yeoh Among Guests
AFI’s Founding Director George Stevens, Jr. Delivered Benediction
Richard Frank Scholarships Named in Honor of AFI AWARDS Recipients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Los Angeles, CA, February 6, 2025 – Today, the American Film Institute (AFI) celebrated the 2024 AFI AWARDS honorees, bringing together the creative community to honor excellence in the art of the moving image. Held at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, AFI AWARDS is the only national program that honors creative teams as a whole, recognizing the collaborative nature of the work by embracing those in front of and behind the camera.
In opening remarks, AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale spoke about the power of art to inspire empathy and hope, and how AFI AWARDS is a unique opportunity for everyone to appreciate and show their love for each other’s work. “It’s about community, it’s about camaraderie – never about competition.”
AFI then revealed its official rationales, provided below, for all 21 honorees, providing the cultural and artistic context to mark these outstanding creative endeavors as the year’s notable milestones. AFI AWARDS honorees include 10 outstanding motion pictures and 10 outstanding television programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of this year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image. An additional honoree was selected for an AFI Special Award, designated for works of excellence that fall outside of AFI AWARDS’ eligibility criteria. All the honored works advance the art of the moving image, inspire audiences and artists alike and enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form.
George Stevens, Jr., filmmaker, author and AFI’s Founding Director, delivered the official benediction. In his address, Stevens remembered the unique artistry of David Lynch (AFI Class of 1970), who passed away earlier this year. Addressing the honorees and guests, Stevens said, “Let’s remember the remarkable legacy of cinematic creativity that David left for us – the mystical beauty we found in living his dreams. And as we leave this ceremony with David in our hearts, let us dedicate ourselves to restoring our devastated movie capital – and to making certain that ‘the movies’ in all their forms – not be afraid of grace and beauty and rise to new heights to entertain and enlighten the world.”
AFI also announced that the Richard Frank Scholarship Fund at the AFI Conservatory, which was established in 2024, will award scholarships to AFI Fellows in the name of each of the 21 AFI AWARDS honorees. The scholarships will provide financial assistance to empower and amplify the voices of young storytellers.
The AFI AWARDS luncheon also featured the Institute’s signature March of Time montage – a unique cross-section of cinematic milestones from decades past, which places the motion picture and television program honorees into a historical context and provides a perspective on the evolution of the narrative arts.
View March of Time Video
Guests in attendance at the AFI AWARDS luncheon included Rose Abdoo, Pam Abdy, Lucia Aniello, Jacques Audiard, Sean Baker, Stephanie Beatriz, Kristen Bell, Edward Berger, Alan Bergman, Lionel Boyce, Adam Brody, Adrien Brody, Quinta Brunson, Camille, Matt Chessé, Jon M. Chu, Dylan Clark, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Robert A. Daly, Mike De Luca, Colman Domingo, Clément Ducol, Ayo Edebiri, Jesse Eisenberg, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Cynthia Erivo, Lilah Richcreek Estrada, Colin Farrell, Mona Fastvold, Rhenzy Feliz, Ralph Fiennes, Jean Picker Firstenberg, Harrison Ford, David Foster, Erin Foster, Jodie Foster, Sara Foster, Richard Frank, Jomo Fray, Petra Fried, Dede Gardner, Lesli Linka Glatter, Jeff Goldblum, Neil Goldman, Brett Goldstein, Ariana Grande, David Greenbaum, Jennifer Grey, Jessica Gunning, Justin Halpern, Fred Hechinger, Ethan Herisse, Boyd Holbrook, Moeka Hoshi, Pearlena Igbokwe, Mark Indelicato, Sean ‘Dino’ Johnson, Rachel Kondo, Peter Kujawski, Greg Kwedar, John Landgraf, Donna Langley, Bill Lawrence, Issa López, Justine Lupe, Clarence Maclin, Leonard Maltin, James Mangold, Justin Marks, Nava Mau, Christopher McDonald, Ted McGinley, Yariv Milchan, Cristin Milioti, Hiro Murai, Edward Norton, Deirdre O’Connell, Adriana Paz, Marc Platt, Samantha Quan, Edgar Ramírez, Matt Reeves, Kali Reis, RaMell Ross, Zoe Saldaña, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ted Sarandos, Patrick Schumacker, Michael Schur, Jason Segel, Helen Shaver, Francesca Sloane, Megan Statler, George Stevens, Jr., Christopher Storer, Peter Straughan, Luke Tennie, Jackie Tohn, Vache Tovmasyan, Michael Urie, Jon-Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez, Denis Villeneuve, Jeremy Allen White, Jessica Williams, Brandon Wilson, Michelle Yeoh, David Zaslav and more.
AFI AWARDS 2024 OFFICIAL RATIONALES:
AFI MOTION PICTURES OF THE YEAR
ANORA fractures the modern fairy tale with an explosion of originality. Sean Baker continues his pursuit of the untold stories of America, driven forward with force by Mikey Madison’s Brooklyn sex worker. This breakout performance shatters stereotype in a complex embodiment of hilarity and heartbreak while providing a crisp look at the modern world’s obsession with money, class and power – and the elusive nature of happily ever after.
THE BRUTALIST forges an upside-down American dream on the layered foundations of love, class and the darkest pains of the past. Brady Corbet’s opus stands as a monument to the power of the art form – brilliantly manifesting the age-old clash between artistic expression and the greed inherent in capitalism. At the cornerstone of this epic tale are tour-de-force performances from Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce, who demand audiences answer the question: is the destination worth the journey?
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN enters the American cinematic songbook through the mind and music of Bob Dylan. At the heart and soul of James Mangold’s time capsule stands Timothée Chalamet, whose embodiment of Dylan’s superhuman genius – and his human frailties – brings electric life to an iconic enigma. Explosive inner conflicts are grounded in the masterful supporting performances of Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning, each of whom answer the question with their eyes – “How does it feel…to be on your own?”
CONCLAVE sends convention up in smoke in this pulse-pounding papal thriller. Edward Berger’s deft direction proves taut, smart and subversive, as Roman whispers drive this robe and dagger drama forward with force. Rare is the film that endlessly entertains while posing thorny theological questions about faith and doubt – delivered in powerhouse performances from the holy alliance of Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini.
DUNE: PART TWO unleashes all the powers of the art form to fulfill the prophecy of its predecessor. Denis Villeneuve’s peerless vision for the epic big screen provides an unparalleled immersive experience where audiences are first-hand witness to both pulse-pounding action and spell-binding artistry. Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya lead the army of artists who imagine these worlds beyond spectacle and, perhaps most daringly, touch the heart of what is human.
EMILIA PÉREZ smashes the convention of the cinematic crime saga – with song and dance, murder and mayhem, and a thoughtful examination of gender and identity. Defying genre with every fresh step, Jacques Audiard’s stylishly provocative thriller continually explodes its narrative with powder keg performances from Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez – a true triple threat of today’s top talent.
NICKEL BOYS opens our eyes to America – both its capacity for cruelty and its strength and perseverance in the face of adversity. Adapting the acclaimed novel by Colson Whitehead with infinite intimacy, RaMell Ross shines a lyrical light on atrocities in the all-too-recent past. Experiencing the narrative through a floating, first-person lens proves a cinematic magic trick that both breaks and then remakes the rules of the art form – ultimately, illuminating the poetic power of movies as engines of empathy.
A REAL PAIN is a true joy – finding the power of family and friendship amongst the ruins of an inhuman past. Jesse Eisenberg presents this odd couple odyssey as a comic-tragic Kvetch-22, an emotionally impossible journey that finds its way forward through the wildly oscillating moods and manners of Kieran Culkin’s hilariously charismatic performance. Audiences will laugh aloud – and never forget.
SING SING sings a song of Shakespeare within the kingdom of incarceration – proving the capacity of creativity to restore and inspire those who suffer “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” Greg Kwedar unlocks the talents of an extraordinary cast, led by Colman Domingo and an unprecedented ensemble of professionals and ex-prisoners who remind audiences, most powerfully, that it is art that will set you free.
WICKED ~PART I~ soars into the stratosphere of cinema history – a modern classic born from an evergreen concoction of cultural landmarks. The screen has rarely seen – or heard – towering performances like those delivered by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, leaving audiences Oz-struck across generations. And with Jon M. Chu the wizard behind the curtain, a brilliant creative ensemble creates an immersive world where one fights for what is right while encouraging us to believe we all can fly beyond the rainbow.
AFI TELEVISION PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY graduates into its third year raising the curve for contemporary comedy. Quinta Brunson’s endearing series unites the most familial and familiar of quick-witted characters and also stands tall as a timely monument to public school teachers and their personal devotion to a brighter future.
THE BEAR earns another AFI star in a season marked by an ever-simmering, often scorching tension between families, finances and fine dining. As temperatures rise in the pursuit of perfection, Christopher Storer’s masterful series calls upon the talents of an extraordinary front and back-of house ensemble to prove the show’s place in the pantheon as a “non-negotiable.”
HACKS raises the curtain on its third year with an audacious ambition – to bring new challenges, new life and new laughter to comedic characters that had fully-evolved in their journey to success. The results are triumphant. Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky have created a combustible alchemy in the relationship between Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, who prove yet again that they’re stronger together, in spite of themselves.
A MAN ON THE INSIDE retires old notions about the elderly by injecting a mature mystery into the everyday of a senior living community. Ted Danson proves the value of vintage, bringing an easy, intoxicating charm to Michael Schur’s delightful caper – a wholesome whodunit both light-hearted and life-affirming.
MR. & MRS. SMITH is a killer romance. With domesticity as a false front for secrets and lies, Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover’s globe-trotting thriller celebrates the pulse-pounding similarities between murder and couples therapy. The chemistry between its stars – Glover and Maya Erskine – proves explosive and as the smoke clears, demands we ask how well we know those closest to us.
NOBODY WANTS THIS is just what the world needs most – a smart, clever, funny romantic comedy that serves as an optimistic inspiration for divided times. Erin Foster’s light-hearted love story imagines “a rabbi and an agnostic walk into a bar,” and what follows lifts audiences’ hearts with the undeniably effervescent chemistry of Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Which begs a toast – “L’Chaim!”
THE PENGUIN elevates pulp comics to prestige drama. Lauren LeFranc’s layered storytelling frames gritty Gotham in shadow, a lawless landscape with mob families battling for power and redemption. Colin Farrell dominates the dark through the sheer power of presence, and with Cristin Milioti as his underworld rival, together they bring both fire and ice to the canon of gangster classics.
SHŌGUN commands an epic vision that sails beyond the boundaries of television. Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks breathe new life into the classic novel from James Clavell – expanding upon its subtleties with rich cultural authenticity. Standing tall at its center is Hiroyuki Sanada – around whose rising sun orbits a stellar ensemble that evokes emotion transcending the barriers of language as they question what it means to seize, wield and hold power.
SHRINKING delves into the complexities of everyday with a fearless smile. Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein’s series provides a couch for audiences to lie and laugh upon – encouraging self-reflection, inspiring discovery and, ultimately, embracing moments of unexpected joy. At the foundation of a brilliant acting ensemble stands Harrison Ford, who transcends his own blockbuster iconography to show it is his heart that has earned his place as an American icon.
TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY shines a blinding light on unknown terrors in the dark – and illuminates a cultural chasm that divides us. Issa López’s heart-pounding mystery makes masterful use of the unseen to immerse audiences in an other-worldly environment that haunts from within. Standing stalwart among the shadows are Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, whose powerhouse performances uncover the unembodied power of greed and its corrosion of the spirit, the soil and the soul.
AFI SPECIAL AWARD
BABY REINDEER proves unrelenting in its exploration of what is kind and what is crazy – and does so as one of the year’s most uncompromising entertainments. Richard Gadd’s searing autobiographical series masks the darkest of pain with the most uncomfortable of comedy, and his brilliant performance – alongside Jessica Gunning and Nava Mau – underscores the pathos by illuminating universally authentic emotions.
The 2024 recipients join a distinguished group of previous AFI AWARDS honorees whose works define the art form and contribute to our rich cultural legacy. View past AFI AWARDS honorees.
About the American Film Institute (AFI)
The American Film Institute (AFI) is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to champion the moving image as an art form. Established in 1967, AFI launched the first comprehensive history of American film and sparked the movement for film preservation in the United States. In 1969, AFI opened the doors of the AFI Conservatory, a graduate-level program to train narrative filmmakers. The Conservatory, which counts Deniese Davis, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas and Rachel Morrison as Alumni, is ranked as one of the top film schools in America. AFI’s enduring traditions include the AFI Life Achievement Award, which honors the masters for work that has stood the test of time; AFI AWARDS, which celebrates the creative ensembles of the most outstanding screen stories of the year; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and the AFI Archive that preserve film history for future generations. AFI exhibition programs include AFI FEST and year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Maryland. AFI Movie Club is a destination for movie lovers from around the world to celebrate and engage with the art form every day. Other pioneering programs include workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community, including AFI DWW+ and the AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, X.com/AmericanFilm, TikTok/@AmericanFilmInstitute, and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.
Written and reviewed by Larry Gleeson during the annual TCM 31 Days of Oscar
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), directed by Vincente Minelli and music by David Raskin, tells the story of an ambitious producer, Jonathan Shields, portrayed by Kirk Douglas. Minelli utilizes flashbacks with voice over narration from the individuals who had worked with Shields; Writer James Lee Bartlow, portrayed by Dick Powell, a star Georgia Lorrison, portrayed by Hollywood starlet, Lana Turner, and Director Fred Amiel, portrayed by Barry Sullivan.
Kirk Douglas and Lana Turner
Interestingly, The Bad and The Beautiful seems to loosely imitate Akira Kurasowa’s Rashomon, winner of the 1951 Golden Lion, the top prize at the oldest and one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. The film world was taken awestruck by Kurasowa’s work and style. Furthermore, the use of the voice-over-narration, especially in the first act of The Bad and The Beautiful, Minelli employs the technique in a fashion closely resembling Billy Wilder’s use in Double Indemnity.
While The Bad and The Beautiful is typically regarded as a drama, I argue it is on the cusp of being a melodrama with the stereotypical characters, exaggerated emotions, and simplistic plot. Raskin’s musical score is impressive, and it supports the musical styles in melodramas such as Douglas Sirk’s All That Heaven Allows. What sets The Bad and The Beautiful apart is its cinematography by Robert Surtees, A.S.C., a three-time Oscar winner for Best Cinematography [King Solomon’s Mines (1951), The Bad and The Beautiful (1952), Ben Hur, 1960)]. Nevertheless, even the New York Times film critic, Bosley Crowther provides a melodramatic opening to his review:
“The widely circulated notion that there are monsters in Hollywood, aside and apart entirely from the grim and ghoulish get of Frankenstein, is given unqualified endorsement, with no reservations and no holds barred, in Metro’s “The Bad and the Beautiful,”…
Back to the film. After the beginning credits roll with Lana Turner and Kirk Douglas receive top billing – in that order, the film transitions to black and a diegetic ringing is heard. The opening frame is of a solitary black rotary phone, the camera slowly pulls out as a man in a gray suit moves towards the phone and answers it. Meanwhile, the camera continues to pull out to a high angle “god shot” revealing a row of light stands spread out across the top of a large shelving apparatus above the phone.
Boom
The man answers the phone with, “Stage Five…Mr. Amiel’s on a camera boom rehearsing right now.” The film cuts to a moving elevated lift (boom) mounted with a camera, and Mr. providing direction. Also, an entire crew comes into frame as the boom moves in for a close up of a blonde-haired woman in a vertical position. Amiel directs the woman to move her hand up around her throat. The gray-suited man comes into frame with the phone announcing, “transatlantic, Paris, Jonathan Shield calling you. the camera moves into a tight-medium frame shot revealing a studio camera and Mr. Amiel operating it. Amiel doesn’t take the call and instead calls out direction for the next shot.
Camera Operator/Cinematographer
In my opinion, this is the film’s overwhelming strength. Minelli provides the viewer with an inside look at how films were made in the 1950’s and the people who are involved in the filmmaking process – everything from stories to scripts, producing, financing, make up, costuming, directing, and effectively handling the sensitivities of Hollywood stars in the era. The film is shot in black and white which helps with the idea of moral business ethics – one of the underlying themes of The Bad and the Beautiful. Stylistically, the film is very easy on the eyes with terrific lighting, attractive and alluring actors, and interesting mise-en-scen. Very warmly recommended, unless you’re a Lana Turner fan, then it’s highly recommended!
February 5th, 2025, The annual TCM 31 Days of Oscar is featuring notable films in a category, Best Original Story, that fell by the wayside in 1956. Best Original Story is often correlated with a film’s treatment. Today the Academy of Motion Pictures bestows Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Out of the seven films screening today ; The Doorway to Hell (1930), One Way Passage (1932), Manhattan Melodrama (1934), Action in the North Atlantic (1943), The Stratton Story (1949), Love Me or Leave Me (1955), and The Brave One (1956), I selected One Way Passage (1932), a Pre-Code film based on the story by Robert Lord.
One Way Passage is a Warner Brothers Production, directed by Tay Garnett, that tells the doomed story of a dying heiress, and a charming and sophisticated criminal who meet and fall in love on an ocean voyage to San Francisco without knowing each other’s secret. William Powell (The Thin Man (1935),My Man Godfrey (1937), portrays the criminal, Dan Hardesty, and Kay Francis (Passion Flower (1931), Trouble in Paradise (1932), portrays, the terminally ill heiress, Joan Ames. Powell and Francis made six films together with One Way Passage being their final film. Many dedicated cinephiles consider One Way Passage their finest work and one of the great love stories on the big screen.
Dan and Joan initially meet in a Hong Kong bar over a spilled drink. One of the dynamics that make the opening of the film so special is the cinematography and camera movement showcasing the idiosyncratic bar performers and bartender and it’s capped off with Joan turning around so the camera captures her in a stunning Hollywood medium close up. The two engage highbrow dialogue. And “trust that luck will come again.”
As Joan and Dan begin to separate with a troubled look overtakes her face and she quickly turns away. Dan is left standing with a bewildered and rueful look before turning and walking out of frame. The camera cuts back to Joan as she slowly watches Dan walk away. In a reverse angle shot Dan turns and looks over the swinging bar door. The camera cuts to a close up of Dan looking towards Joan before tipping his hat. Joan looks ecstatic waving as her friends call out her name to rejoin the group. She does to the chagrin of Dan who turns with a gun poking his ribs. Dan is caught by Steve Burke (Warren Hymer) after eluding arrest in Berlin. Burke has strict orders to return Dan in handcuffs to San Francisco aboard a luxury liner, the S.S. Maloa.
Once on board the S.S. Maloa, in a cunning move, Dan manages to have his handcuffs removed and reconnects with Joan. The luck has come back. Seeing Francis and Powell acting together is magic. In what could have been a tragic, sad, and grim story, Garnett manages to soften it with a touch of camp and a bit of screwball comedy through character development and snappy dialogue. In addition to Dan, Joan, and Steve, Frank McHugh (Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), The Roaring Twenties (1939) portrays Skippy, one of those character types that adds those colors as is Barrel House Betty, pretending to be a countess, portrayed by Aline MacMahon, (Gold Diggers of 1933, Kind Lady (1935). With a runtime of 68 minutes One Way Passage utilizes impressive pacing that doesn’t miss a beat. What unfolds is an elegant, highly watchable, Pre-Code, Depression-era film with an unpredictable conclusion. Highly recommended.
One of the incredibly timely documentaries screening at Slamdance (February 20-26) this month is Agnieszka Zwiefka’s Silent Trees. The film, which will make its U.S. Premiere, shines a light on the global refugee crisis. The film follows a Kurdish teen and her family as they find their lives on the cusp of being forfeited due to a dirty political power play between Belarus and Poland. Due to their circumstance, she has no choice but to assume the role of an adult well beyond her years if they are to survive in their new home.
Zwiefka said, “We are thrilled to be making our film festival debut in the United States at Slamdance, which is noted for frequently featuring films that tell the story behind the story, challenging audiences on the perspectives they had prior to having access to films filling out the details in the picture, like ours.” She added, “This film began as a refusal to remain silent. As many others, I have watched the refugee crisis unfold in Europe until it landed at my doorstep. Hopefully, we are providing an intimate look at the stories of so many out there by focusing on one family’s journey, and one girl’s efforts to rise above it all and keep hope alive where most others would give up.”
Producer Zofia Kuwajawska said, “For me this film has always been a fight for human dignity. Our main drive, from the very beginning, was to give a face to the nameless statistic, and show the humanity and spirit that we saw in Runa and ] her family, that represented countless others.”
Silent Trees screened previously at prestigious international documentary film festivals CPH: DOX and Hot Docs, effectively establishing the film’s journey to reach audience saround the world via the top film festivals via its first three outings (including Slamdance). The film introduces us to Runa, a 16-year-old Kurdish refugee and her family who have been stranded in an icy forest in the Belarusian-Polish border, denied entry into either country. Runa is forced into responsibilities beyond her years, caring for her younger brothers and being a support for her father after her pregnant mother dies due to the harsh conditions. Eventually placed within a Polish refugee camp, the family grapples with the trauma of their loss while struggling to adapt to a new life in a new country.
While her father desperately tries to find work to feed and take care of his family while hampered by language barriers and other seemingly insurmountable hurdles, Runa finds comfort in drawing, which the film morph into animated sequences that capture her dreams and nightmares. Silent Trees is a remarkable coming-of-age story and harrowing journey of one family among countless others fighting to survive and keep the hope of a better future despite the daily horrors of the global refugee crisis.
One of the things that adds to the style and art of the film is its use of animation. Animating Runa’s drawings provides Silent Trees with stark imagery, offering a glimpse into the abyss she and her family faces each day, as well as finding a hopeful light in that darkness, and giving the telling of her story another depth via the illustration of her thoughts and fears. Zwiefka said, “Runa’s animated sketchbook serves as the perfect vehicle to portray the unfilmable aspects of her world, akin to the style of Marjane Satrape’s Persepolis.”
Agnieszka Zwiefka will attend the screening and participate in a post-screening Q&A and provide more on-the-ground detail about the European refugee and the experience of working to capture the story of Runa and her family with heart and sensitivity. At a time, when this country’s government is seemingly looking to turn a blind eye toward the global refugee crisis, Slamdance’s screening of the film and discussion afterward take on an entirely greater level of import.
Foreign Correspondent (1940), part of TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar, is directed by Alfred Hitchcock and tells the story of a reporter caught up in an assassination of a Dutch Diplomat. Joel McRae (Sullivan’s Travels, The Barbary Coast) portrays John Jones in the film’s lead. Jones is a news reporter who has garnered a reputation for himself by running down a payroll robbery while beating up a police officer “in the line of duty.”
The film opens with a scrolling text dedicating the picture to the Foreign Correspondents, “the intrepid ones who went across the seas to be the eyes and ears of America. To those forthright ones who early saw the clouds of war while many of us at home were seeing rainbows…” Then, opens up to reveal a New York setting as the camera pulls out and then pushes in toward a window a dissolve reveals a newsroom for the New York Globe.
A cable gram has come in from London dated August 13th, 1939, reading that no war is imminent due to bad crops. This gets the ire of the Globe’s head man, Mr. Powers, who has an instinct Europe is under great stress. He wants facts not a daily guess, “a reporter who doesn’t know the difference between an ism and a kangaroo. A good honest crime reporter.” Powers is convinced a terrible crime is being committed in Europe when the light bulb goes on and Powers decides to send Jones, an “ideal person to go to Europe.” Powers is hell-bent on getting news out of Europe not correspondence.
As the narrative moves forward, Jones has a myriad of experiences on a steamship, at London Station, and inside a bar, before meeting Van Meer. Van Meer is the Dutch ambassador who reportedly has a treaty clause that can keep the peace in Europe. Much like the narrative in Hitchcock’s 39 Steps (1935), the clause becomes a McGuffin of considerable interest and moves forward the budding love romance between Jones, and Carol Fisher, portrayed by Laraine Day (Those Endearing Young Charms, The Locket). Carol Fisher is the daughter of Stephen Fisher, an international peace seeker. As with any Hitchcock film things aren’t always what they seem.
The pacing and spectacle, however, of Foreign Correspondent is vastly quicker and more extravagant than the 39 Steps. In particular, a stunning scene in the Dutch countryside occurs in an area with three enormous windmills. A master of suspense, Foreign Correspondent‘s scene inside one of the windmills is one of Hitch’s best. The action coupled with non-diegetic music helps the scene to not only create suspense, but it also causes tension. Truthfully, the windmill scene is where the action takes off and doesn’t stop until the denouement. It is also at the beginning of Act 2 in the film’s classical Hollywood three-act narrative.
Foreign Correspondent received six Oscar nominations in 1940 for Best Picture, Best Writing (Original Screenplay), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Having come to the United States from Great Britain at the onset of WWII, Foreign Correspondent was Hitchcock’s second film under the start of his US production. Interestingly, Hitchcock’s first American production, Rebecca, nominated for Best Picture alongside Foreign Correspondent, is the only film of his to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Nevertheless, Foreign Correspondent has tremendous spectacle, witty repartee, head-spinning plot twists, and it ends with a symbolic gesture that would make Donald Trump proud. Highly recommended.
