Sam Bowen

Jon Favreau’s best film by a country mile. If Y Tu Mamá También is the pinnacle coming-of-age story for teenagers, then I’d argue that Chef is the pinnacle coming-of-age story for adults. Not only is it the epitome of a feel-good movie, but it’s surprisingly very funny the whole way through (I say “surprisingly” because I’ve always found Favreau’s style of comedy in Elf to be insufferable). Above all, it’s a beautiful story about the power of human connection and how the things that ignite our hearts bring us together in ways words can’t. I also have Cuban roots and a deep love for Cuban cuisine, so seeing that whole cultural aspect really hit close to home. It was super cool to see the famous Versailles restaurant featured in the film, as I have fond memories of visiting my grandma when she lived in Little Havana and eating there with her. She also cooked amazing Cuban food herself, which is something that my mom still carries on, so watching those scenes made the experience feel even more special. Needless to say, all signs point to this becoming one of my go-to comfort movies.

This has been on my watchlist for what seems like forever, and seeing it show up in the top 20 of NYT’s top 100 films of the century list was the push I needed to finally watch it… and yeah, I get it. Simply incredible. Perhaps the most seamless portrayal I’ve seen of people truly “coming of age”, as the name of the genre suggests. Never afraid to be vulnerable, effortlessly capturing the beauty and tragedy of life’s unpredictable rollercoaster in this journey of self-discovery that is so deeply human. It’s clear that these actors truly care about capturing that authenticity, in return giving some of the most convincing performances of all time. And that ending left me with a lump in my throat, I won’t lie.  Almost Famous exists, so I don’t think I’ll ever be able to call this my definitive “favorite” of the genre, but I can see how some could call this the pinnacle coming-of-age story. One of the most easily recommendable films I’ve ever seen and one that I’m sure will leave an immediate impact on anyone.

Better than Interstellar

A movie that has spent years on my watchlist, weirdly eluding me for quite some time. I honestly think this might be my favorite style in any Christopher Nolan movie, and believe me, that’s saying a lot. Everything from the cinematography, to the color grading, to the imagery, to the score, to the sound design is otherworldly. My issues here lie in the overall lack of emotional resonance. As a somewhat discerning viewer of war films, I tend to value those that focus on immersing the viewer in the human experience behind the conflict at the forefront. Unfortunately, I never found myself able to engage that deeply with any of these characters on a personal level. A big reason behind this could be the little amount of dialogue throughout. There are plenty of films where I love the decision to let the atmosphere carry the narrative in place of dialogue (i.e. No Country for Old Men, The Lighthouse), but I’m just not sure if that particular stylistic choice is very suitable for war films. Another thing to consider is that my three favorite war movies - The Thin Red Line, Apocalypse Now, and Full Metal Jacket - all employ narration as a form of internal dialogue to help put the viewer in the characters’ shoes, so even going that route here could have served as a worthy substitution for actual verbal exchanges. All in all I think it’s a pretty solid film. As mentioned previously, the style is fantastic, and I’ll admit there were a few scenes that made me feel something. I just think my rating is likely a product of my general pickiness when it comes to the war genre. Christopher Nolan Ranked