Movies of 2021 Part 1

 

    I haven't been writing and I haven't been watching films. While I like to do both, both have suffered greatly as I spend most of my free time reading. It's a unique problem to have: reading getting in the way of one's screen time. Apart from Goodreads reviews, I haven't been writing about reading either. My initial desire was to blog about both reading and watching films. After a quiet movie year in 2020, 2021 saw the release of a lot of critically acclaimed films, most of which I still have not seen. But I'm beginning to remedy that, and to get back into the habit of watching movies, and balancing that against reading and working and other things. So, these are the really good to great 2021 films I have seen so far. My goal is to see as many of the Best Picture and Oscar adjacent films before the awards are given, although I also realize that the Oscars completely ignore a lot of really good films, performances, etc. A lot! But now that it's 2022, here are some 2021 films I have caught up with, and briefly, what I think of them. Oh, and where ratings are concerned, I've been converted to the five star way of thinking after prolonged  use of both Goodreads and Letterboxd. 

    Bergman Island ****1/2

    This really worked for me. I was completely taken with the performances of Vicky Krieps and Mia Wasikowska. They are both physically arresting on screen, and more importantly, both are excellent actors. I was hooked on Krieps's story. Then the Wasikowska story within a story began, and I was truly fascinated. And of course I was also taken in completely by the island itself. Beautiful. The film strikes a wonderful balance of absolutely being a tribute to Bergman, influenced by Bergman, but also being its own film made by a very talented filmmaker with a unique vision.

    The French Dispatch ****

    A film I had to sit with for awhile. It all seemed to move very fast, and I was expecting more stories, wanted more stories. Some may say it is the most Wes Anderson film yet, but I would argue that in some way it felt different. Maybe I just noticed more than usual. Or felt like I should have noticed more? Because again, it all seemed to go by so quickly. But I like what I saw. And I need to re-watch. I can tell you this though: Jeffrey Wright is great and should have gotten Oscar recognition with a nomination at least. The big question really is though: why put Elisabeth Moss in a film if you aren't going to use her? That really made no sense. She appears at the beginning and again at the end and is given virtually nothing to do except sit in a chair and deliver maybe two lines?

    The Green Knight ****1/2

    I loved everything about it. The central performance from Dev Patel, who portrays Gawain as a lovable ne'er-do-well who really has no idea what he is doing or what he is up against. The fact that the King and Queen look so bedraggled and unglamorous. The ambiguous (is it though?) ending that perfectly portrays the spirit of the original poem, if not the same ending. Alicia Vikander, wonderful in a duel role. The generally dirty, dark, sometimes barren landscapes that give even the scenes of magic a realistic feel. 

    The Lost Daughter ****1/2

    A great debut from a first time director that poses questions about parenthood and one's suitability to parenthood while also being that rare film that succeeds at telling a story about memory and making it feel as all consuming for the audience as it does for the protagonist. I think, not easy. Of course Olivia Colman was the right choice to portray this difficult, interior person while also portraying her depth and eliciting empathy. Jessie Buckley might be even better as the younger version of the character. Also, great music, and a great final scene/cut. The Academy could have made room for this on the Best Picture list, knocking off something like say... Don't Look Up? Just a thought...but it's nice to see two of the leads recognized for their work.

Nightmare Alley ****

Dark as pitch and hopeless. With a protagonist who, because of his insatiable desire for money and fame, cannot escape his fate. In other words it's everything a film noir should be. Every performance is top notch, especially Bradley Cooper in my favorite performance of his to date. Willem Dafoe is having fun. Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, and Cate Blanchett are all excellent.

Power of the Dog ****1/2

Benedict Cumberbatch will surely win the Best Actor Oscar? Not that it really matters. Although it surely matters to him. He shows a range here I did not think he had, and I was pleasantly surprised by that. Parts of the film, the subtext, can feel a bit overstated at times (so not subtexty I guess). But there are also twists in the film that I never saw coming and at the same time felt earned, not cheap. It's a film I think one must watch more than once to fully appreciate (I have only seen it once). It is literary, beautiful to look at, with four very strong central performances. You likely will not see the ending coming, although the groundwork is there. I certainly did not see it coming. And I think there is just enough ambiguity or subtleness to what happens and how it happens that it is really satisfying to go back and fill in the timelines and character motivation for yourself.