Barry Lyndon this week.  Alexandria…Why? next week.  As always, follow along on our iCheckMovies list, and be sure to let us know how you’d rank the movies in the comments below.

Barry Lyndon – December 18, 1975

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Producer: Stanley Kubrick

Writers: Stanley Kubrick

Actors: Ryan O’Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Krüger, Diana Koerner, Gay Hamilton

Studio: Hawk Films, Peregrine Productions

Distributor: Warner Bros.

The course of the conversation:

The boys are impressed with how the film handles the era and the passage of time.

The narrator works as a separate character and framing device.

Excellent acting.

Pleasantly slow story-telling, in the Dickensian model.

Marisa Berenson does a lot with her screen time, even without many lines.

Every duel is incredibly tense, and incredibly meaningful.

How does Barry Lyndon stack up in Kubrick’s catalog?  Only Michael can really compare.

Nathaniel praises Kubrick for getting emotion from his characters, but critics seem to disagree.

Can you feel connected to a spoiled, snobbish, aristocratic brat?

Surprisingly entertaining.  Surprisingly funny.

Nathaniel hates good cinema.

Michael hates listening.

Jonathan hates making decisions.