Network

masterclass in writing by paddy chayefsky. nothing i can say that hasn't already been said about peter finch's "i'm mad as hell" monologue, nor the "primal forces" monologue by ned beatty - both are just some of the best writing i've seen, & that caliber of penmanship extends to every character of this film. chayefsky's writing is also terribly prophetic of the landscape of modern media, with seemingly everything now looking to rile up people's emotions for the sake of impressions & ratings, be it by news pundits or the thousands of howard beale-likes you can find while doomscrolling on social media. i can't say i was able to fully buy into the affair between faye dunaway & william holden, which i feel is likely the film's only blunder, but with their relationship giving rise to beatrice straight's brief yet nonetheless intensely emotional performance, she more than makes up for them. & with the film otherwise being so well-written, well-acted, & well-directed, it's hard not to see sidney lumet's network as anything but an all-time great. 12/52