Here at MovieBabble, we like to watch movies, obviously. However, the Coronavirus has created a sudden drop off in the number of new movies for us to watch. But we will not be stopped, and we’ve turned to the many decades of cinema preceding us for our entertainment. Some of us have gotten into familiar favorites, others have chosen to dive headfirst into the artsiest of artsy movies, and the rest of us are somewhere in between. For the duration of this crisis, we will be keeping you in the know about these quality gems through our Quarantine Staff Picks. So, without further ado, here are some of the movies we’d recommend for your viewing pleasure this week.
Public Enemies (2009)
Chris van Dijk: This John Dillinger biopic headed by Michael Mann has often been considered a disappointment, but it does get better after each viewing. At times, it does feel like Mann just wanted to create a depression-era version of Heat, but even so, it’s a gorgeous film to look at. Besides Johnny Depp, it has a great supporting cast with Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Stephen Lang, Stephen Graham, and more. The action scenes, filled with thunderous Tommy guns, are an absolute blast. The finale is also quite moving. (Available to stream on Netflix.)
The Speed Cubers (2020)
Spencer Henderson: The Speed Cubers is a documentary short (only 40 minutes long) and it is one of the most beautiful things to be made in the hellscape of 2020. A great examination of friendship and human ingenuity. (Available to stream on Netflix.)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Collin Willis: Epic is an understatement. The scale of this film is unfathomably massive. It’s an epic that feels very large, yet never loses sight of its protagonist. Lawrence’s journey from military nobody to English warlord, to the historical legend, is gripping, to say the least. It’s very clear to me why this is Steven Spielberg’s favorite movie, and the visual influence it has on the Indiana Jones franchise is astonishing. (Available to rent on VOD.)
Cold War (2018)
For my money, I’d put Cold War up against any foreign-language film made in the last few years. It also has one of my personal favorites scenes in a movie where Joanna Kulig sings “Dwa Zerduszka” in a jazz club and finishes with Tomasz Kot’s loving stare. (The best stare in movie history???) Paweł Pawlikowski’s post-WWII romance is one of the best examples of two individuals being deeply in love, and yet so terrible for each other. It’s a movie I’ll always be deeply moved by in every way. (Available to stream on Prime Video.)
Vox Lux (2018)
Truly one of the more interesting Natalie Portman movies I have ever seen. Her performance is intense and the film caught me off guard with many of its choices… in a good way, mind you. It paints a sorrowful look at gun violence, PTSD, the life of a celebrity, and just mental health in general. Natalie Portman owns it. (Available to stream on Hulu.)
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[…] say it was because Johnny Depp, the movie’s co-lead, was embroiled in an ongoing lawsuit with the film’s location […]
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