2009: Year in Review

The characters in director Wong kar-Wai's "In the Mood for Love," which recently ranked No. 5 on the BFI's Sight and Sound poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, crave human connection -- but they'll settle for a good meal. In this episode, Mike and Brian explore physical vs. emotional hunger; the various ways that Wong kar-Wai uses framing, color and slow-motion to communicate desire and/or loneliness; and how playing make-believe can draw us closer while simultaneously distancing us from deep life experiences. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL [email protected].

Duality. Facades! Identity!? It's all underneath the microscope in director Ingmar Bergman's "Persona" (1966), which ranked No. 18 on the BFI's Greatest Films of All Time Sight and Sound poll. In this episode, Mike and Brian dive into the subconscious to explore the links between authenticity and art, desire and security, intimacy and acting, secrets and the Self. They gush over the film's black-and-white cinematography, discuss how horror stylings work to guide viewer expectations, then debate what's "real" in "Persona," and how much literal truth even matters in movies obsessed with intuition and the fine lines that divide competing forces within ourselves. Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL [email protected].

Ranked No. 31 on the British Film Institute's Greatest Films of All Time poll is director Federico Fellini's surrealist meta-project "8 1/2" (1963).  To really do the movie's vision justice, Mike and Brian intended to podcast about podcasting for a straight hour, but their producer (the illustrious Marc Gilliland) wouldn't allow it. Instead, the two discuss why we're drawn to movies about movies and the creative process, talk the power of images to fill logical gaps in the subconscious and explore what it means to make "authentic" and "important" art. Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL [email protected].

Ranking No. 4 on the British Film Institute's recently released Greatest Films of All Time poll was director Yasujirō Ozu's "Tokyo Story" (1953), which plays as a meditation on time and generational divides, set during a parents' trip to Tokyo to visit their adult children. In this episode, Mike and Brian discuss Ozu's visual approach and whether or not a film can be shot "objectively;" they talk pre- and post-war sensibilities; growing apart; trauma-bonding; and the disapointments that come with being stuck in transitional periods of familial or cultural change.  Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL [email protected].

Coming in at No. 1 on the British Film Institute's recently released Greatest Films of All Time poll was "Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" (1975), directed by Chantal Ackerman. Never seen the film? You're not alone. Its placement at the top of the charts was a surprise to many, which made it the perfect place for Mike and Brian to kick off their international cinema blindspotting miniseries. In this episode, they discuss whether or not mundanity can be a form of awakening and what tedium teaches us about marginalized groups; they debate the film's style and ending; talk agency vs. victimhood; then dig into where "Jeanne Dielman" might palce in their own "greatest films of all time" lists.  Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL [email protected].

Mike and Brian are celebrating the new year with a fresh new show format! In this episode, they discuss movie blindspots and introduce the miniseries to come, review the British Film Institute's Sight & Sound Top 100 list, discuss their own personal all-time top fives then hold a very formal ceremony honoring the first official inductees to gain entry into the rarefied air that is BPTGIE (Best Picture This Good in Everything) status.  Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL [email protected].

What's your favorite movie of the aughts? What's the best movie? Are they the same film -- if so, why not? In this special bonus episode, Mike and Brian recap their 10-year journey through the films of 2000 through 2009; discuss what the decade taught them about art, the Oscars and what they value most about movies; and then they rank their top five films of the 2000s. Want to curate a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL [email protected]

What was the best movie of 2009? The Academy awarded that title to Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker," but in this series finale episode, Mike and Brian recap the year in film to rerank the Best Picture nominees, highlight standout films that didn't garner Oscar attention and choose their personal top-fives. Want to curate a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL [email protected]

It's not enough to edcuate us anymore, Academy. You have to tell us why you're doing it! In this episode, Mike and Brian explore the final Best Picture nominee of 2009: director Lone Scherfig's "An Education," starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina and more. They discuss allusions to the Great Recession, what the movie intends to say about higher education through its ending (and whether or not it's successful), if Peter Sarsgaard is certified BPTGIE (Best Picture This Good in Everything) material and -- the big one -- if the Oscar-nominated film will win a spot in their top fives of the year. Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL [email protected].

Jeff Bridges and Colin Farrell as country music icons?! Where do we sign? In this episode, Mike and Brian dive into director Scott Cooper's "Crazy Heart," an intimate character study of an aging and down-on-his-luck musician (Bridges, who won the Oscar for Best Actor). The film owes a lot to Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," and Mike and Brian parse out those comparisons. They talk "fake" biopics, the complicated world of happy endings, how original music compares to the ultra-famous songs that frame out films about real-life legends like Ray Charles and Johnny Cash, then decide whether or not this movie will make their top fives of 2009. Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL [email protected].