Another month another list of favorite first-time watches. Only four this month. I would do five but I wrote a lengthy review of Alex Garland’s Civil War. If you’re new here, I write about my favorite first-time watches of the month once a month. Any movie I had not seen before that I would recommend anyone watch.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) – John McTiernan

Finishing Blank Check’s series on John McTiernan. I like the original Thomas Crown Affair with McQueen and Dunaway and the Oscar winning original song “The Windmills of Your Mind.” I did not expect to like the remake as much as I did and so much more than the original.

Something I never understood in the original is Faye’s character is hot for Thomas from minute one. In this version, we see Renee’s insurance investigator fall in love with Thomas Crown.

It’s sultry, It’s fun, John has some signature sequences. Especially the final museum sequence. It’s McTiernan’s last gasp as a great filmmaker. And it is a kind of film we don’t get much of anymore, a great popcorn flick for adults. The one thing missing is an exquisite home video release.

Defending Your Life (1991) – Albert Brooks

What I thought was going to be like Powell and Pressburger’s A Matter of Life and Death (Which is a masterpiece) was something entirely different. A man (Albert Brooks) abruptly dies in a car accident.

He is sent to Judgment City where he must defend his life. If successful, he will evolve into a higher being. If he does not, he will be sent back to earth to live another life. While in Judgment City he falls in love with Julia (Meryl Streep), but will he learn from his past life and seize the moment?

My favorite part of the whole film is getting to watch Meryl be charming, funny, sexy, smart, the whole package. So many of her roles she is doing her “Meryl Drag”. Very performative, in make-up, doing an accent. Here she is being natural and it’s wonderful.

It’s obvious why Albert’s Daniel would fall for Meryl’s Julia. The film also left me thinking about my own life, have I taken risks? Do I have regrets? When a film forces you into existential questions, that’s a great film.

Short Cuts (1993) – Robert Altman

A 3+ hour miscellany of lives in Los Angeles. Several intertwining stories play out. You would think this would not be as enthralling as it is to watch normal people lead normal lives. We all have a kind of voyeuristic tendency. It’s why reality TV is so popular.

A massive cast to great and long to list here. A standout is Julianne Moore who gives a very brave monologue deep into the film. At 188 minutes the film never dips, and the film never becomes convoluted with so many storylines to follow.

It is an impressive film and a clear inspiration for Paul Thomas Anderson for his Magnum Opus Magnolia. All the way to the act of God ending event. Short Cuts won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but those who give it a shot will enjoy it and hopefully open the door to more Altman films.

Challengers (2024) – Luca Guadagnino

Luca’s new film is a love triangle in the world of tennis. Zendaya’s Tashi Duncan meets and falls for friends and fellow tennis players Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor). As with every love, triangle things become complicated.

The editing, the score, and the cinematography make the film feel like you’re coked out of your mind at a friend’s party and someone is telling you their latest relationship drama. Reznor and Ross’s score is pulsating the entire film, one of their best since The Social Network.

People are complicated; it’s great seeing a film showing three imperfect people all with different motives. Patrick and Art represent both sides of the masculinity coin. Tashi wants but cannot have both. It’s thrilling to watch. I cannot wait to see the film again. The score is my new cardio workout music.