What makes a classic movie? There are different definitions of a classic movie. You can have the classics of the 1930s and 1940s that paved the way for future filmmakers. There are cult classics that aged well despite receiving mixed reactions upon release. You can have modern classics within the last 30 years that continue to age gracefully.
There are countless classic movies that I still have yet to see, i.e., Gone with the Wind. I try to cross some of the classics off my list. For many of these movies, I’m kicking myself after seeing them because I wish I had seen them sooner. For two of these movies on the list, I had watched them as recently as this year, and I can’t wait to revisit them in the future.
The Godfather Part II
Featuring one of the defining performances of a generation
One of the silver linings of being forced to stay inside during the COVID-19 pandemic was the ability to cross some of the classics off of my list. I had seen The Godfather before, but I had never sat down to watch The Godfather Part II from start to finish. Shame on me for taking that much time to stream what I believe is Francis Ford Coppola’s best movie in the trilogy.
Thesequel follows two timelines. The first depicts a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro), a Sicilian immigrant who escapes death in Italy and becomes a prolific crime boss in New York City. The other timeline is set in 1958 and follows Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), the new Don of the Corleone family who must sniff out a traitor in the inner circle. Acting is subjective, but Pacino’s depiction of the tragic antihero turned villain must be on any top 10 list of movie performances ever.
L.A. Confidential
Murder and corruption within the LAPD
1997 was the year of Titanic, which dominated awards season, culminating with a record-tying 11 Oscars. One of the four movies that lost Best Picture to Titanic was L.A. Confidential, Curtis Hanson’s neo-noir crime drama set in the 1950s. It’s one of those movies I knew I’d like but kept putting it off. I finally sat down to stream it earlier this year, and unsurprisingly, I loved it.
Edmund Exley (Guy Pearce) is a hot-shot rookie sergeant in the LAPD. Detective Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) is more interested in boosting his Hollywood profile than completing actual police work. Bud White (Russell Crowe) is a no-nonsense officer who repeatedly takes matters into his own hands. These three cops all find themselves mixed up in a murder investigation that exposes police corruption. It’s stylish noir where the setting, Los Angeles, becomes the film’s greatest asset.
Working Girl
Mike Nichols helms one of the 1980s’ best rom-coms
If you ask people to name the movie that best represents the rom-com genre, When Harry Met Sally… is probably the most popular answer. I can’t argue with that answer. However, I do think Working Girl, which came one year before When Harry Met Sally…, belongs in the conversation.
Ambitious Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) works as a secretary in a New York City firm. Tess dreams of becoming a top executive, but gender stereotypes are holding her back. Tess gets a new job as an assistant to associate partner Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver). When Tess believes Katharine stole her idea, she decides to take matters into her own hands by posing as her boss when the latter’s leg injury requires hospitalization. Tess runs into problems when the man (Harrison Ford) she’s trying to broker a deal with becomes the object of her affection. Working Girl is the sum of its parts: a great cast, an engaging premise, and a hopeful ending.
To Live and Die in L.A.
A dark, violent crime thriller from the 1980s
When I first watched To Live and Die in L.A. earlier this year, the word that came to mind was sleazy. This is a sleazy, sweaty movie with complex characters doing questionable, sometimes immoral, things. It’s certainly in the running for my favorite non-Exorcist William Friedkin movie.
Days before his retirement, Secret Service agent Jimmy Hart (Michael Greene) is killed by master counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe). His partner, Richard Chance (William Petersen), is hell-bent on revenge and plans to bring Masters down. With a new partner (John Vukovich) by his side, Chance immerses himself into the criminal underbelly of Los Angeles in hopes of catching Masters. I’ll never understand how Friedkin shot this car chase, one of cinema’s crowning achievements. To Live and Die in L.A. is a neo-noir done right. Shoutout Wang Chung.
Manhunter
Michael Mann’s take on Hannibal
Never judge the quality of a movie by its box office. Manhunter made less than $9 million on a $15 million budget. By all accounts, it was a box office bomb. Yet it’s some of Michael Mann’s best work. The Silence of the Lambs is one of my four favorite movies on Letterboxd. Until a few years ago, I had no idea that Mann first brought Hannibal Lecter to the screen in Manhunter.
Former FBI profiler Will Graham (William Petersen) is pulled back into the fold by Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina) to find a serial killer known as the Tooth Fairy (Tom Noonan). To catch a killer, Will seeks one’s help: Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox), the same man who previously attacked Will and sent him into early retirement. After watching To Live and Die in L.A. and Manhunter, how wasn’t William Petersen the biggest movie star? He’s a fantastic leading man, especially in crime dramas. And with all due respect to Red Dragon, Manhunter is the superior movie.
More movies to watch this month
You’re probably never going to run out of options on streaming services. Head to Hulu if you’re interested in Oscar-winning movies like Avatar, Brokeback Mountain, and Sentimental Value. If you want a new movie to stream this weekend, watch How to Make a Killing on HBO Max or Voicemails for Isabelle on Netflix.
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