Bogart in Casablanca

Of course, you can't have a series of Humphrey Bogart drawings without having Rick Blaine from the iconic and timeless Casablanca.

There are many movies that lose their luster, fit best within the era they were made, or are just less accessible to their audience over the years but Casablanca is not one of those movies. It's both as easily accessible as anything out now and a time capsule of the world at the time without being a "period piece" (one could read Rick as a metaphor for the United States' policy of interventionism during WW2).

It's full of rich, interesting characters one after the other, both lead and supporting, that contrast each other in ways that feel truly authentic and organic -  Lund, Renault, Ferrari, Strasser, Sam, Ugarte, Brandel, and two of my favorites, Carl and Sascha. And of course Bogart plays off all the characters, accentuating their personalities with his own.

Casablanca is suspenseful, romantic, dramatic, and punctuated with bright spots of humor from beginning to end. And to this day there are moments that are as touching as a moment can be.

It's one of my favorites and continues to get better and better with time.

- D