My 150 Favorite Movies - #39

Ghost World (2001)


Based on the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes, the screenplay was cowritten by Clowes and director Terry Zwigoff, who also directed Crumb.  The plot concerns two misfits, best friends who are recently graduated from high school, and the middle-aged loner that one of them befriends. A quirky movie that is at times difficult to love, but nevertheless reaps emotional rewards if you stick with it. Ably acted by Thora Birch, Scarlett Johannson and Steve Buscemi, it fared much better with critics than at the box office. I entirely agree with Roger Ebert's assessment: "I wanted to hug this movie. It takes such a risky journey and never steps wrong. It creates specific, original, believable, lovable characters, and meanders with them through their inconsolable days, never losing its sense of humor."

My 150 Favorite Movies - #40

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

One of the most influential examples of film noir of the 1950's, The Asphalt Jungle is a perfect example of my favorite subgenre, the caper film. Directed by John Huston, the plot revolves around a small gang of thieves attempting to pull of a million dollar jewelry heist. As per usual, with this kind of film, things go awry. Starring a uniformly excellent cast, including Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Sam Jaffe, Jean Hagen, and Marilyn Monroe in a small but memorable part, this is a film to treasure. Huston won Best Director that year from the National Board of Review, and in 2008 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.