A Film Recommendation for Every Letter of the Alphabet
G is for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) dir. Howard Hawks
A screwball comedy packed with so many excellent costumes, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes helped propel Marilyn Monroe into stardom and cemented her reputation as the ditsy blonde. But perhaps the real star of the show here is her co-star Jane Russell as takes-no-shit Dorothy. It’s technicolour, it’s witty, and it’s 91 minutes long – you can’t really ask for more.
H is for Handmaiden (2016) dir. Park Chan-wook
A poor pickpocket and wealthy widow in 1930s Korea con the various men in their life in this twist-filled epic. There’s a fair bit of the straight male gaze at work here, but it’s nonetheless a transgressive and empowering look at lesbian desire.
I is for Isle of Dogs (2018) dir. Wes Anderson
A compact visual punch, Isle of Dogs is set in a fictional future Japan where politicians whip up mass hysteria about the danger of dogs and banish them to Trash Island, a dismal dump covered in litter and empty sake bottles. It’s no less off kilter than the rest of the auteur’s oeuvre, but does contain boggly-eyed pug named Oracle, played by Tilda Swinton.
J is for Jane Eyre (2011) dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga
It’s a tale as old as time that has been adapted to death, but Fukunaga’s restrained take on the story succeeds so well. Important to note that both Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska are gorgeous, which negates the whole Jane-being-plain thing from the books, but hey, artistic license and that.
K is for Kramer vs Kramer (1979) dir. Robert Benton
A divorcing couple battle for custody over their son Billy in this tear-jerking drama. One of the better divorce dramas (sorry, Marriage Story), Kramer vs Kramer helped introduce to the world the wonder that is Meryl Streep and helped her secure her first Academy Award win. Dustin Hoffman is, well, Dustin Hoffman.
L is for The Lady Vanishes (1938) dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Before Alfred Hitchcock moved to the US and started becoming weirdly controlling and possessive of his leading ladies, he made the comedic murder mystery The Lady Vanishes. With sizzling chemistry between the two leads, a great plot, shady geopolitics and plenty of directorial flair, it’s an all-round good time. Filmmaker Francois Truffaut told Hitchock that every time he watched the film he meant to study the editing and special effects, “but each time I become so absorbed with the story that I’ve yet to figure out the mechanics of that film.”