Robert Duvall's Best Movies

Over at Rolling Stone, I contributed to a roundup of Robert Duvall's essential roles. You can read our list right here. 

Frederick Wiseman, 1930-2026

Frederick Wiseman was one of my filmmaking heroes. I was lucky enough to interview him twice. I knew one day he'd be gone, but still I'm very sad to see him go. For Rolling Stone, I paid tribute to a legend. 

Robert Duvall, 1931-2026

Robert Duvall had died. He was 95. I paid tribute to the Oscar-winning actor over at Rolling Stone. 

Catherine O'Hara, 1954-2026

What a shock: Catherine O'Hara is gone. For Rolling Stone, Jon Blistein and I pay tribute to a very funny woman. 

Bela Tarr, 1955-2026

A couple years ago, I had the immense pleasure of moderating a Q&A with Bela Tarr after a screening of his final film, The Turin Horse. He was great. Today for Rolling Stone, I pay tribute to an iconic filmmaker. You can read my piece here. 

Brigitte Bardot, 1934-2025

Brigitte Bardot was one of cinema's most indelible sex symbols. Then she walked away from stardom. My tribute on the occasion of her passing is over at Rolling Stone. 

The Essential Rob Reiner Films

For Rolling Stone, I helped contribute to a list of the late, great Rob Reiner's best films. I tackled his two Aaron Sorkin collaborations: A Few Good Men and The American President. You can read the whole list here. 

Rob Reiner, 1947-2025

What a terrible way to end a terrible weekend of sad news. For Rolling Stone, Althea Legaspi and I wrote about Rob Reiner's legacy. 

Diane Keaton's Best Films

I pitched in over at Rolling Stone on a piece that celebrated the late, great Diane Keaton's 10 essential movies. I was happy to take on Reds. You can check that out here.

Diane Keaton, New Hollywood Heavyweight

It's a sad day: Diane Keaton has died. For Rolling Stone, I tried to sum up her brilliance. 

Robert Redford's Essential Films

I teamed up with other Rolling Stone colleagues to list 20 must-see Robert Redford movies. You can read me on The Natural, Indecent Proposal and All Is Lost here. 

Robert Redford, 1936-2025

For Rolling Stone, I wrote about the passing of Robert Redford, the movie star and the man behind Sundance, in two ways. Rest in peace, sir.

My Interview With Julia Loktev, Director of 'My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow'

At the end of last year, I caught My Undesirable Friends: Part I, which premiered at the New York Film Festival. Spanning five-and-a-half hours, the documentary chronicles about four months in Moscow, from October 2021 to February 2022, as director Julia Loktev follows a group of independent Russian journalists facing the threat of imprisonment by Putin. The movie was shattering, gripping and stunning, and this Friday, it opens in New York. My Undesirable Friends feels like an alarm bell for Americans in the midst of Trump's authoritarian takeover. For Rolling Stone, I spoke to Loktev about her essential film and the lessons we should take from it. Hope you enjoy.

What's Adam Sandler's Best Film?

The gang at Rolling Stone asked me to write some of the capsules for its big ranking of every Adam Sandler movie. As always, here's this caveat: I had no say over how the list played out. But if you want to read me on Uncut Gems, Punch-Drunk Love and others, check it out here. 

The Best Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)

Rolling Stone asked a bunch of its contributors to work on a massive list of the best films of the 21st century. Remarkably, we're already 25 years into this new century, which means a lot of good movies. As always, I didn't have any say in the final rankings, but I did some of the write-ups, including Y Tu Mama Tambien, Inside Llewyn Davis, Dogville, Burning, Uncut Gems, I Am Not Your Negro, The Souvenir and others. Dive in. 

Gene Hackman's Finest Films

I was flattered to be asked to help contribute to this Rolling Stone piece that provides a primer on Gene Hackman's best performances. These 20 films constitute a hall-of-fame career.

Gene Hackman, 1930-2025

For Rolling Stone, I eulogized Danville, Illinois' favorite son, Gene Hackman.

My Reaction to This Year's Golden Globe Nominations

What were the biggest surprises? What were the most egregious snubs? I wrote about all that and more for Rolling Stone.

My Interview With Joshua Oppenheimer, Director of 'The End'

Nine years ago, I interviewed Joshua Oppenheimer for Rolling Stone to discuss his great documentary The Look of Silence. Recently, I interviewed Joshua Oppenheimer for Rolling Stone again, this time to discuss his great new film, the divisive musical The End. We talked about global warming, doomsday bunkers, Trump, and the right and wrong kinds of hope. You can read my profile here.

What's the Best Movie From 1999?

Rolling Stone created a list of the 99 best movies from 1999. Then, the editors asked regular contributors to write capsules for the films. I got to write about Eyes Wide Shut, Three Kings, The Wind Will Carry Us and others. Check out the whole list here.