So it appears I have fallen behind on my blog! I have some catching up to do on my movie lists and let’s start with 2021. After the lost year of 2020, 21′ featured a lot of interesting movies. Nobody was a fun action vehicle for Bob Odenkirk, of all people, who’s unlikely casting is only matched by Christopher Lloyd as his shotgun toting father. Malignant is a fun horror film that pushes the dial all the way up to 11 in its so-batshit-wild-it’s-great third act. The Matrix Revolutions seemed to piss everyone off but I enjoyed it as a big fat middle finger to the industry that loves reboots and sequels, originality be damned. Antlers is an X-files-like smaller creepy film. The Purge Forever turns the franchise into a western. Into the Earth is a weird, wild movie that might not be good but is sufficiently unique. Candyman was a very well shot but otherwise unremarkable sequel/remake. Titane proves the French aren’t afraid when it comes to pushing the envelope by awarding the Palm D’Or to this body horror shock fest. On the made for streaming side of things, Army of the Dead is fun throw-away while Many Saints of Newark proved to be one of the more decisive films. We really didn’t a movie sequel to the brilliant series The Sopranos, and it actually has a pretty good story about Dicky Moltisanti and his relationship with his father and uncle (both played by Ray Liotta in one of his last good performances) but unfortunately grinds to a halt whenever it tries to do call backs to the main characters.
10. The Last Duel– Ridley Scott is a master of crafting wonderful visuals and this Roshomon style medieval epic is very watchable despite being a bit too long and a little redundant. Adam Driver and Matt Damon both give great performances as friends who turn into bitter foes. The biggest surprise is Ben Affleck who kind-of makes this movie by bringing much needed humor and irreverence to a story that runs the risk of being crushingly depressing.
9. The Lost Daughter- Maggie Gylnehall’s directorial debut tackles a subject seldom discussed on film- women who abandon their children to fix their own lives. In the Lost Daughter that choice haunts a brilliant Oliva Coleman. The relatively simple story has just enough mystery and misdirection to keep the audience on their toes until it’s clear what the emotional climax will be. By turns funny and enlightening, a divisive film that isn’t as good as some say and isn’t as bad or obtuse as others say.
8. Old- The newest M Night movie was roundly shat upon but the reality is that the first hour of this movie is an absolute trip providing a very unique horror experience and letting the audience just settle into it and enjoy it. The ending is disappointing and angered lots of critics (sounds familiar..) but overall this is another strong entry from the Master of the Twist’s second act of filmmaking, which begun with the brilliant The Visit.
7. Last Night in Soho– It’s such a shame this movie bombed. Yes, the overall plot is like a twilight zone episode, but in the hands of Edgar Wright it’s the most gorgeous and engrossing twilight zone episode one could ever imagine.
6. Pig- a farm Noir? Nicholas Cage has a typically brilliant ‘Nic Cage’ performance as recluse truffle farmer who goes out for revenge when his beloved truffle hunting pig is kidnapped. Rather than settling into a John Wick knock-off, Pig stays weird, going in many unpredictable directions and ultimately offering a mediation on true love
5. Drive My Car- The best foreign film of the year was an Oscar front runner. It’s a long, slow film, but methodical, mesmerizing and full of enough interpersonal angst it’s hard not to relate to. It’s a film about grief and living life but ultimately about accepting who you are and embracing yourself as the only way to rise above the calamities of life.
4. No Sudden Move– a throw back crime caper that is well made, well acted and impeccably paced. It’s a hard to predict but always interesting back and forth film of the ilk Hollywood doesn’t seem to make anymore. Stephen Soderberg has a lot of fun with this 50s Detroit Noir that is loaded with an all star cast.
3. The Green Knight– King Arthur tales were never high on my personal list of fantasy stories but here is a dream like, immersive experience about a knight who isn’t quite a hero falling to his own ego, appetite and weakness on the way to earning his own comeuppance. This offering from A24 exists on its own wavelength with a dream like story, stunning visuals and great performance from Dev Patel.
2. Nightmare Alley- a Carnival Noir, a throwback film, a brilliant mediation on what it means to truly hit rock bottom. Guillermo Del Toro remakes a forgotten film from the 1940s and coaxes a brilliant performance out of Bradley Cooper as an anti hero trying to escape his past by joining a carnival at the turn of the century. It’s a brilliant film that is filled with wonders and horrors but none can match the dead pan lack of morality represented by Cooper’s character. This is the type of movie that didn’t make a great impact on release but is destined to become a classic
- Licorice Pizza– Paul Thomas Anderson’s dual coming of age drama is a real treat, a slice in the life of the 70s that cackles with energy and wit. And it’s sweet and charming without ever feeling tacky or safe. The leads are both unknowns but give brilliant performances. The music is fantastic and the film transports the viewers to the 70s almost as if it’s a time machine in a way reminiscent of his other magnum opus Boogie Nights, but is much more optimistic and hopeful. This is the type of movie one can watch over and over again.
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