WHAT I'VE BEEN WATCHING: DECEMBER 29-JANUARY 1

Another couple of days, another four films I've watched. I'm continuing my dive into Criterion's catalog that exists on various platforms to stream or buy on DVD/Blu-ray. I'd also recommend a subscription to The Criterion Channel, which can be accessed on your laptop, Roku, or Apple TV, which houses most Criterion titles and a plethora of others that are difficult to find anywhere else. Definitely worth the subscription price.

WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956), a swoon-worthy Douglas Sirk melodrama features one of Rock Hudson's best performances and a buffet of tremendous technicolor photography. We follow the Hadley family, a spectacularly wealthy group who struck it rich in the oil business. Marylee is the "nymphomaniac" daughter, Kyle is the alcoholic son, and then we have Lucy, who marries into the family only to be isolated by each member's troubles. It's a sweeping film, at once gorgeously romantic and melancholy. Buy on DVD on Amazon.

ARMY OF SHADOWS (1969), an epic from legendary crime filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville, follows a French Resistance leader and his troops in the midst of WWII. The film, at almost two-and-a-half hours, is wide in scope and all the better for it. This is bravura filmmaking, featuring set piece after set piece, that richly details the horrors, dangers, and tragedies of war. Army of Shadows is enthralling in its attention to detail, breathless intensity, and undercurrent of immeasurable sadness. Rent on Amazon Video or iTunes for $3.99.

THE CRANES ARE FLYING (1957), a WWII film from the point of view of Veronika, the girlfriend of a drafted soldier, as she waits for her lover to return home from war. The film is remarkable for its emotional intensity and exacting characterization of Veronika. The love between her and Boris, her boyfriend, is so palpable and well-conceived that the emotional stakes of the film operate at the highest of levels. It's a monumental feat what filmmaker Mikhail Kalatozov was able to accomplish emotionally with as short an introduction to Veronika and Boris exists in the film. I found myself very moved. Stream on the Criterion Channel or HBOMax.

AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS (1987), another WWII film about two French schoolboys' blossoming friendship in Nazi-occupied France. The film is a delicate one, never subjecting the viewer to exploitative or cheap narrative twists. This is one of director Louis Malle's finest films, incredibly heartbreaking and long-lasting in its impression. Au Revoir Les Enfants and Army of Shadows are two of the greatest WWII I've ever seen, and both have left an indelible imprint on my heart. Stream on the Criterion Channel, HBOMax, or Kanopy.