Dear readers, hey — it’s me once more
With pent-up rhymes about to pour!
Let’s raise a glass, what e’er you drink,
And toast the films that made us think
Or laugh, or cry, or scratch our heads
Or ponder while tucked in our beds —
A year of film, from bad to great
(And too much popcorn that I ate).
Remember, say, this summer past
When “Barbenheimer” troops amassed?
And all we talked of, over drinks,
Were physicists and shades of pinks?
But there was so much more, for sure
Like “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour”
And one last dance from “Magic Mike”
And Tom Cruise on his motorbike.
The “Book Club” ladies went abroad,
“The Marvels” formed a cat-filled squad
And there are many trips way worse
Than one across the “Spider-Verse.”
To those who say my job’s all glee:
Five words: “Big Fat Greek Wedding 3”
And it’s with downcast eyes I share:
I sat through ALL of “Cocaine Bear.”
But odes of praise I’m glad to croon
For “Killers of the Flower Moon,”
And let’s exchange heartfelt high-fives
With all who dearly loved “Past Lives.”
“The Holdovers” went back to school,
“Chevalier” was a tuneful jewel,
“Poor Things” let Emma Stone take flight,
And “Chicken Run” returned, just right.
“Saltburn” sizzled, “Fast X” soared,
“Maestro” struck a pleasing chord.
“The Killer,” rightly, was quite tense
And welcome back, “Stop Making Sense!”
“The Little Mermaid” made a splash,
Branagh’s Poirot had some dash.
Tom Hanks played “A Man Called Otto,”
“Renfield” seemed a wee bit blotto.
“The Color Purple” thrilled with song,
“Napoleon” just seemed too long,
And “Wonka” pulled off something rare:
A leading role upstaged by hair.
A year of ups and downs, it’s true,
But one great film can joy accrue.
So here’s my hope: that you this year
Found something perfect, to hold dear
And watch again, in at-home streams,
Until it haunts your waking dreams
As all the greatest movies should:
The screen can be a force for good.
So let’s gaze out, to ‘24:
Look: “Wicked,” “Dune” and “Civil War”!
Until the next film holds us thrall:
Happy New Year to us all!
(Raising a glass to the great Roger Angell, who died in May 2022 at the age of 101, and whose yearly “Greetings, Friends” poems in The New Yorker inspired my annual foray into verse.)
___ (c)2024 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This story was originally published January 2, 2024, 4:00 AM.
source: star-telegram
