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INDIE PICK 1:
At 94, James Ivory, is still making movies (he co-directed the upcoming documentary A Cooler Climate). Celebrate his endurance by revisiting A Room With a View (1985), his rapturous portrait of a 1900s Englishwoman (Helena Bonham Carter) who has a momentous encounter with a freethinking railwayman (Julian Sands) in Italy. Based on E.M. Forster’s novel, the film is a testament to Ivory’s collaboration with the late producer Ismail Merchant, who was his partner in both art and life. HBO Max.
INDIE PICK 2:
It takes a true optimist to keep the faith in the face of despair—someone like director Patty Jenkins, who plunged into the psyche of serial killer Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron) with Monster (2003), then unleashed the gleaming hopefulness of the Wonder Woman films. In retrospect, Monster is a fitting prelude to Jenkins’ superhero work. Her fearlessness in the dark gave her unique credibility when she embraced the light. Netflix, free on Amazon, Crackle, Plex, Roku, Tubi.
HOLLYWOOD PICK:
Jonah Hill published an open letter last week stating that due to anxiety attacks, he would not promote his films for the foreseeable future (he added that he was “hoping to make it more normal for people to talk and act on this stuff”). In honor of his heroic frankness about mental health, we recommend Moneyball (2011), in which he plays Peter Brand, a quietly revolutionary compatriot of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt). Hulu.
CLASSIC PICK:
A spaghetti-covered tennis racquet. A tilted hat. A broken mirror. The indelible images of Billy Wilder’s The Apartment (1960) are upstaged only by its funny, furious, heartfelt words. It’s hard to find Hollywood films this slick and smart in any era, but Wilder made one for the ages: a tale of tyranny toppled by the tender chemistry between Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Rent on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube.