I Still Believe in Heroes

Classic cinema represents the best of what film can be. Most of the films we see and love today take ideas from the classics that came before them. La La Land , one of 2016’s most beloved films, owes a debt of gratitude to films like Singin’ in the Rain , An American in Paris and West Side Story . I believe that it is completely possible to enjoy films without having knowledge of what came before them, but I also think that having that knowledge enhances your experience of them. I understand why people today might not want to seek out a 70-year-old film. Thanks to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon we have an unending stream of modern films to explore. Even beyond that, I know there are many people out there who simply don’t like black-and-white movies. Others find older movie effects laughable. There are some who don’t watch old films because they look and feel old. With every year comes newer and newer technological advances that make older films look less impressive. Yet, despite ...

            When Phantom Thread   ended, the very first thing that came out of my mouth was, “Wow.” I just wasn’t sure what else to say after that. I knew I absolutely loved the film, but I couldn’t think of the right words to express how I felt about it. I don't typically sit through the credits of a film unless I know there's a scene attached after them, but with Phantom Thread   I just sat there after the fact trying to take it all in. As I walked out of the theater, I found myself unable to stop smiling like an idiot because I had just witnessed a love story unlike anything I had ever seen before. “Wow” ended up being the perfect way to sum up my thoughts on the film.             Paul Thomas Anderson's  Phantom Thread  has been one of 2017’s most secretive films. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock in what he has announced will be his final role before retir...