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PORTLAND PICK:
Matt McCormick’s 13-minute documentary The Subconscious Art of Graffiti Removal, which debuted at Sundance in 2002, remains a classic of DIY Portland cinema. Its defining argument—that expunging art is an art in itself—may be perverse, but the film’s dreamy authenticity can’t help but inspire belief. Free on Vimeo and YouTube.
INDIE PICK:
Released in 2018, Carlos López Estrada’s Blindspotting could have been a somber meditation on the politics of interracial friendships. Instead, it’s a cinematic explosion of color, wit and bro-mantic passion—political, yes, but never didactic. Written by its two astounding stars, Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) and Rafael Casal. Free on Amazon Prime.
HOLLYWOOD PICK:
After he jumped on Oprah’s couch but before he starred in Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise played Col. Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg in 2008′s Valkyrie, about a real-life plot to assassinate Hitler. Set aside the “Tom Cruise plays a German” jokes and enjoy a suspenseful, meticulous thriller about a man who puts morality above country until his last breath. Free on YouTube.
INTERNATIONAL PICK:
The Hollywood Reporter recently dubbed French star Léa Seydoux “the queen of Cannes.” But did you know she’s one of only four women to win the festival’s coveted Palme d’Or? In 2013, she and co-star Adèle Exarchopoulos shared the award, which they received for the controversial and emotionally explosive romance Blue Is the Warmest Color, along with the film’s director. AMC+, IFC Unlimited, Roku.