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David Cross recommended Bicycle Thieves (1948) in Movies (curated)

 
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
1948 | Drama
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Just watched this again the other night. About every five years or so I throw it on and enjoy it. Perhaps as some sort of antidote or palate cleanser for all the bombastic, inane crap that comprises 99% of the movies out there. For every Battleship and What To Expect When You’re Expecting, or by-the-numbers, manufactured twee, Indie quirkfest you end up seeing, you should watch this movie to equalize your sense of what a “good movie” really is. As simple a story as one can conceive (an honest man in post-war Rome who needs his bicycle for work, has it stolen and he sets out to get it back before the end of the day) that’s easily as compelling and truthful as any movie out there."

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Rick Nielsen recommended The Godfather (1972) in Movies (curated)

 
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather (1972)
1972 | Crime, Drama

"Number one is The Godfather. The Godfather, for me, is because it represented family. Even though this family was on the opposite side of the law, and they were criminals at the end of the day, they were family, struggling, an immigrant family in America trying to find their ground. One of the most compelling scenes to me in The Godfather — it happens in Godfather II, actually — is when Vito Corleone is young, and he comes home to his wife, and all he has is an apple. He rubs it, polishes it, and puts it on the table, and they appreciated it. You know, that is very powerful to me. Those films resonated with me throughout the rest of my life because of the family values they instilled."

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Les Misérables (2019)
Les Misérables (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama
Gritty French social thriller (if that's a thing) hits its targets. A policeman newly assigned to a special unit in Paris finds his first day at work turning into a nightmare as tensions rise between different groups and his superior turns out to be an undisciplined loose cannon.

Bleak but compelling: this film was made in 2018 and 2019, but its concern with race, poverty, police brutality and the abuse of power means it feels very timely. Gripping plot and strong performances result in a film which is frequently tense even if it's seldom reassuring. The climax is as strong a condemnation of the failure of the young by wider social structures as I can remember seeing. A powerful and serious film, but also a very satisfying piece of entertainment.