Movies, in theaters, seem to be on the comeback trail, and I couldn't be happier about it. Still, 2021 wasn't ideal, having to watch several of the Oscar movies on TV rather than in the theater. I'm also not thrilled that the trend of longer movies continued in 2021. Movies approaching 2.5 to 3 hours have practically become the norm. Maybe filmmakers are trying to lure people back to theaters by giving "your money's worth", but it's a trend I can't get behind. I enjoyed many movies this past year, but none of them jumped out as particularly superior. I struggled more than usual coming up with my rank order. I'd say the top four were close, and the remaining six could have come in just about any order. Most had many elements that I really enjoyed but also had elements that I found lacking or even distracting. I will continue my "stripped down" version of the blog to remain on record. Commentary and disagreement are encouraged.
1) CODA: I think I liked this movie so much because it was so simple, pure, genuine and heartfelt. While nothing about it was over the top amazing, there just didn't seem to be anything wrong with it either. It's a movie I watched with family, and we all came away touched and happy for having seen it; thoroughly entertained. Simply being entertained has always been the primary benchmark by which I judge movies. Plus, I've always had a soft spot for coming-of-age movies. The themes are often formulaic and can become melancholic or cheesy, but CODA remained truly original. Ruby is a high school student, facing all the anxieties and uncertainties that torment most teens. She's from the wrong side of the tracks, finding it difficult to balance work (fishing with her brother and father), romance, peer pressure and her secret desire to become a singer. Her life is complicated by the fact that her brother and parents are all deaf. She's spent her entire youth being an oddity to her peers and an interpreter for her parents. She's an outsider in every way imaginable. Despite her overwhelming vulnerability and mistrust "CODA" avoids becoming sad or edgy. In the end, due to excellent writing, superb acting, and thoughtful direction it was just beautiful, sweet, funny, and thoroughly enjoyable. I recommend this film be seen with family.
2) LICORICE PIZZA: After watching this movie I was certain it would be my favorite of 2021. There is so much to love about this movie. Perhaps I'm a bit biased as Licorice Pizza was directed by one of my favorite directors, Paul Thomas Anderson, who is responsible for some of my all-time favorite movies (e.g., Magnolia, Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread). The movie is set in the 1970s and follows the lives and relationships of Alana and Gary, played beautifully by Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, son of Phillip Seymor Hoffman. It was impressive to see both of these young actors so expertly tackle the complexities of the characters they portrayed. This movie, very much like Magnolia, felt like a collection of short stories, or skits. Each "story" had a life of its own and could have become a movie of its own. All the skits are tied together by the relationship of our young protagonists. Each "story" also had a significant co-star to drive the sub-plot. For example, Sean Penn, Tom Waits and Bradley Cooper each contributed to this amazing movie. While the overall film was extraordinary on many levels, the reason I didn't rank it first, was that some of the skits fell short, leaving the movie somewhat inconsistent and intermittently less enjoyable.
3) NIGHTMARE ALLEY: Another terrific director in Guillermo del Toro, but WOW, what a cast. Bradley Cooper, Willem Dafoe, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, and Toni Collette to name a few, star in this movie set around con men and the circus life; themes I've historically enjoyed. Nightmare Alley follows the rise and fall of Stan, a man seemingly born to be a carny. As he creeps out and up from his pitiful beginnings, he achieves increasing success, and his pride and ego grow in equal measure. Ultimately, pride and the desire for more, become his undoing. However, what makes this movie truly special, along with the wonderful acting, is the gorgeous cinematography. It really is a visually beautiful film to watch.
4) KING RICHARD: Similar to CODA, this movie felt like "nothing special but thoroughly entertaining". A very simple premise, Richard Williams raises and coaches Venus and Serena to tennis stardom. Living in poverty, against all odds, through sheer determination Richard overcomes all hurdles to propel his children into the then Caucasian dominated world or tennis. In the end it's a touching story about the importance of family, passion, and hard work. Will Smith gives his customarily solid performance, but the young women are also surprisingly strong actors. I'm usually down on young performers, but many of this year's films feature younger actors, who do far more then deliver.
5) BELFAST: Speaking of young actors, Belfast stars 9-year-old (at the time) Jude Hill, playing Buddy. The film is the semi-autobiographical story of Kenneth Branagh's youth. He grew up on a lively street in Belfast, where everyone knew everyone else. Children playing in the streets, parents chatting on the stoop. One day Protestant and Catholic are living in harmony, the next there are riots, explosions, relentless violence, barricades and mounting rage. The film follows one family's struggle to adapt to these changing times, and to do what's right to protect themselves and their loved ones. This movie is filmed in black and white yet is visually beautiful. As most films nominated for Best Picture, the acting is also superb.
6) DUNE: I grew up reading comics and sci-fi and I do consider myself a fan of this genre. However, as I get older, I find myself more and more critical of these movies. I'm less impressed by special effects, costumes and makeup. That being said, this movie is extraordinarily visually beautiful and, of course, features top notch acting. Timothee Chalamet has amassed quite a resume for such a young actor. I think most films nominated for Best Picture, tend to have strong writing, acting, and cinematography. In the end, what else really matters? I found the plot of Dune to be somewhat confusing and the pacing was meandering (code for too damn long). I wasn't bored, but I'm not checking to see when the Part 2 comes out.
7) POWER OF THE DOG: This film is set in1925 Montana. There are cows, lassos, guns and horses but I wouldn't call it a western. The story centers on wealthy rancher brothers. Benedict Cumberbatch, always amazing, is Phil and rising star Jesse Plemons is his brother George. Kirsten Dunst is Rose, who finds herself the object of George's desire. Phil is dark, bitter, and increasingly mean-spirited as his brother becomes increasingly involved with Rose. Rose has a son, stealing most scenes, played by Oscar Nominated Kodi Smith-McPhee. Ultimately, I believe, this film is about what it means to be a man. What is a man's responsibility to family, community, and to himself? There is a subtext about what sexuality has to do with male identity in 1925. While I was entertained, this movie was far too "artsy" for my liking. Sometimes "independent" movies just seem too artsy for the sake of being artsy. The narrative and "meaning" can be cleverly disguised. Often it feels like you need to read up after watching, to find out what it was really all about. To me, that's more work than I want from a movie, going against my "entertain me" preference. I do understand that this might be exactly what some people cherish and enjoy (read- my brother Dan), and why it garnered the most nominations of any film this year. I guess it's similar to the difference between a story and a poem.
8) DRIVE MY CAR: This is another very artsy movie, and it's three hours long, Japanese, with subtitles. As I've said before, subtitles almost automatically mean a slight downgrade. Your eye-line isn't on the action as you read, and nuances in language are missed when interpreted. This movie is still somehow captivating, in part for its novelty and in part for its sad beauty. Our protagonist is a renowned stage director and actor. His wife, his muse, dies unexpectedly and the story truly begins two years later, when he takes a job in Hiroshima. There he is assigned a young woman to serve as his driver. The story revolves around his relationship to his wife, self-discovery and his art. He if forced to confront is loneliness and the errors he made in his life and marriage. It's a very slow pace, stoic acting, and overall sad..... not a movie for everyone, to be sure, but on some level I did enjoy it.
9) DON'T LOOK UP: Hard to imagine I'd have a movie featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Meryl Streep on the bottom of any list. He is clearly at the top, or near the top, of the "best actor of all-time" list. She is unequivocally at the top of that list for actresses. While Leo and Jennifer Lawrence are characteristically fabulous, the movie just isn't. The two play an astronomy professor, Dr. Mindy and his assistant/student Kate. One night they discover a giant comet that is on a collision course with earth. If impact can't be averted global extinction is a certainty. They go about trying to alert the authorities and the public; with very little success. Meryl plays the President of the USA, Jonah is Hill is her son, the Chief of Staff. Mark Rylance is an eccentric billionaire funding the efforts to derail the comet. Adam McKay is a wonderful comedic director. However, I think he relies too much on humor and silliness in this movie. It's always bothered me when a director tries to play it straight/realistic but periodically go off the rails with unbelievable silliness. There is an inconsistency in delivering the message that I find distracting. Meryl, Jonah, and Mark are simply too over the top, unbelievable and unrealistic caricatures of real people.
10) WEST SIDE STORY: I remember loving the 1957 original and I'm a fan of Steven Spielberg. His credits need no explanation. That being said, this is a three-hour long song and dance. While the singing and dancing is entertaining enough, with some extraordinary scenes, there just wasn't enough story to support three hours of it. To be fair, I'm not a huge fan of musicals in general, which likely colors my opinion. Rachel Zegler and the other leads were clearly well-trained professional singers/dancers. Ansel Elgort was more than acceptable. Still, the movie didn't feel very modern, innovative, or different enough from the original. The romance, the forbidden love, felt forced and overly dramatic. It also didn't really address racial tension or gang life in a believable way. Ultimately, the fact that I checked my watch several times during the show, says it all.
