Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)

It probably helps a great deal that the wispy, flower-like Miranda July appears in her own film, as her adorable, blue-eyed presence warms what would have been a cold, quirky, Todd Solondz-like experience. Like a mini-Short Cuts, Me and You and Everyone We Know follows several lost and lonely characters as they cross paths in funny, sad and sometimes disturbing ways. A six year-old boy chats on an internet sex site, a man lights his hand on fire and a woman practically throws herself at him, not comprehending how dangerous or unhinged he may be. Yet none of this sets off any alarm bells, thanks to July's wide-eyed dreaminess and eternal hope. read more...

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Shithouse (2020)

The title certainly does not convey how actually sweet and nuanced this college-level character drama really is. Alex (writer/director Cooper Raiff) is a college student in California, lonely and homesick for his family in Texas. He even converses with a stuffed animal (who speaks back with the aid of subtitles). His roommate Sam (Logan Miller) is a hard-drinking scruffball, and an unfunny wannabe comedian. Making an attempt on the advice of his stuffie, he learns of a party at a fraternity dubbed "Shithouse," and he decides to go. Miraculously, he meets Maggie (the excellent Dylan Gelula, from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Support the Girls), and they hit it off. They spend an entire night walking around and talking, jumping into a late-night baseball game, and even holding a funeral for Maggie's dead turtle. The night ends well, but the next day, Maggie is suddenly cold and snappish, and Alex's attempts to find out what's going on make things worse. The amazing thing is that the movie respects both characters. Alex is guileless, while Maggie believes in changing gears to suit the moment, and they're both allowed to be right. Beautifully, lazily shot with an eye for natural spaces, the movie does take a bit too long to dig the characters out of their deep hole, but it's an endearing tale — sure to be a classic for college students of this generation — and a wonderful filmmaking debut. (It also includes a fine tip for keeping your hands busy while socializing at a party.) read more...

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The Unbelievable Truth (1990)

Hal Hartley's debut feature begins with one heck of a blonde in its main character, Audry Hugo (Adrienne Shelly). She believes the end of the world is coming and decides she doesn't want to waste her time in school anymore, despite the fact that she's brilliant and has a thing for George Washington. She falls in love with a mechanic (Robert Burke) recently released from prison on a murder charge. Hartley's gift for sardonic dialogue seems practiced but always sounds great. When characters banter back and forth, arguing or bargaining, you may be reminded of the great screwball comedies of the 1930s. But this plot is so minimalist and absurdist, it could only be a product of the '90s. read more...

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The Trouble with Harry (1955)

You either love or hate this comedy classic, and I love it. I've seen it more times than just about any other Hitchcock, and I was thrilled to see it re-mastered and letterboxed for the first time. John Forsythe stars as a New England painter who falls for a young widow (an adorable Shirley MacLaine in her film debut) just about the time a dead body is discovered in the pastel-colored autumn hills. read more...

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• Romantic Love ▶ Happily ever after
• Production Level ▶ Polished
• Comfort Level ▶ Settled, reassured, comforted or resolved
• Originality ▶ Different or novel for its time

Jeffrey (1995)

Jeffrey is written by Paul Rudnick (fast becoming the toast of Hollywood), based on his own play. Rudnick previously injected life into Addams Family Values, the snappy sequel to the lame original. Jeffrey sparkles, not so much with funny jokes, but with witty talk. The characters are all crisp and interesting people, and the movie is photographed in a way that compliments them; New York has never looked so colorful and sharp, not even in more mainstream films like When Harry Met Sally.... read more...

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