We Own This City (2022)

We Own This City has been described as a spiritual sequel to The Wire, which ran from 2002-2008. David Simon is the great chronicler of the American city. Simon and George Pelecanos return to Baltimore to follow up on the state of the police and the effect the killing of Freddie Gray. had on our beloved city. It's a damning critique of the Baltimore Police Department as an institution and the War on Drugs that bred it. It may come off as preachy at times, but that's because they're willing to speak the hard truths that no one else will. And yes, sometimes they need to be said out loud. It manages to be both aggravating and absolutely devastating. It makes you feel defeated, that the problems we face in this country are just so insurmountable under the weight of our broken and corrupt institutions.

Jon Bernthal gives a career best performance as Wayne Jenkins. There's something about him that just screams dirty cop. He has the brashness and charisma and bro-eyness. It's spot on casting. And his bawlmer accent is excellent. The time jumping is a little confusing, but it allows all the angles to unfold at once: the police, the FBI investigation and the DOJ consent decree. We see the police stops happen in flashback, and then relive them as the FBI investigates them, and then again as the DOJ gathers evidence for its own work. You can't look away; the miniseries is transfixing.

Baby Driver (2017)

Baby Driver feels fresh thanks to Edgar Wright's smart and stylish direction. He brings together slick editing to the beat of a sick soundtrack and brilliant choreography. The beginning of the film has a fantastic tracking shot that sets the exciting tone for the rest of the movie. Is Ansel Elgort cool? Wright makes him cool and he makes an extraordinarily fun and enjoyable movie.

Show Me a Hero (2016)

This miniseries from the master David Simon is gripping. He exceeds at crafting and developing characters on all ends of the spectrum. He depicts life in Yonkers from the upper-class white side to the lower-class black side in public housing and then the integrated neighborhoods with the new contentious public housing. It matters that Simon's stories are inspired by real life. He is depicting a real slice of life in America, at times mundane but always real. When people want to see raw everyday America, they would do well to turn to Simon.

The choice of music is very fitting. For the most part, it's not performed music (diagetic) like in Treme. But it features lots of Bruce Springsteen in the Oscar Isaac scenes. And period hip hop in the projects scenes.

It is a timely story about race. They always are about race, actually. But this is very explicit. It is a true story about opposition to building federally mandated public housing in Yonkers, NY in the late 80s. Yes, recent racism in NY. It existed and exists today. You are made to see everyone's side of the story. Oscar Isaac plays the young mayor. He is always excellent, really inhabiting the life of this "hero." My favorite were the first few episodes with the nitty gritty local politics. But the development of Catherine Keener's character was also really engaging. The opening scene is also the ending scene, and while I kind of saw it coming, I was genuinely shaken by it. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest winner to come out of Sundance.  It will undoubtedly draw comparisons to "The Fault in Our Stars," as a coming-of-age story featuring a young girl diagnosed with cancer. What this movie does so well is it is humorous (more so than you'd expect from a movie revolving around cancer), charming, quirky, emotional and beautifully written.  You become emotionally invested in the characters, feeling all the pressures that the high schoolers face.  It is at times deadpan funny, reminiscent of Wes Anderson's style.  There's an air of Anderson in the cinematography and design too, especially with all the miniature models.

The best part of the movie is the love letter to the movies.  The protagonist and his partner make amateur parodies of classic films, and the audience gets to see titles and clips that are downright brilliant and hilarious.  Some of them are cheesy and hokey and ridiculous, but you can't help but smile.