January 22, 2021
OK, we’re winding down our look at 2020 with my favorite films of the year. Then we can officially put a close on 2020, except for a brief preview of the Oscars in a few months. There certainly were a number of great movies to watch this year, even if we missed out on some of the bigger titles due to the pandemic. It remains to be seen how 2021 will shape up. There are already films moving off of their Spring release dates (looking at you, once again, No Time to Die – we’ll see you in October), and there could be a ripple effect of production delays pushing some titles into 2022. For instance, we just saw that Babylon, the new film from Damien Chazelle (director of Whiplash and La La Land) starring Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie was pushed back to Christmas 2022! Oh well, plenty of content still ahead of us – I am already working up a long list of movies coming our way in 2021. But let’s stick to the matter at hand.
As I was finalizing my rankings of my favorite movies of the year, it became clear that I was having a hard time finalizing the order of my top 10-15. I felt that they were all in a top tier, but trying to rank them in order, came down to a fundamental question of what criteria to use. Was I trying to rank the “best” films of the year, the films I would most likely rewatch again soon, or ones that had the best technical aspects or favorite performances? And how to compare musicals, dramas, comedies, and animated movies? This debate was particularly tough with the first two movies in my list this week. At the end of the day, I decided to use some kind of hybrid approach of all of the criteria above, but it became clear that there isn’t a lot of difference between #1 and #10 in terms of my enjoyment and admiration for these movies.
The next debate I had with myself (yes, I think way too much about this stuff – being a maniacal list person is hard) was where to cut off the films to include. Last year, I followed the Oscar eligibility window, which was easy. If it was released in time to qualify for the Oscars, I included it in my list. This year was a little trickier because the eligibility window has been extended until the end of February. I’m not planning on waiting that long to finalize my list, but if a film hasn’t been released yet and I was able to see it through a virtual film festival (like Nomadland, Minari, and The Father), I included it. There are a few movies coming in February that may receive some Oscar attention (like Judas and the Black Messiah and The United States. vs. Billie Holiday) that I haven’t seen yet, so we’ll keep those on the list for 2021.
Ok, now that I have taken way too much of your time explaining my rationale, here goes.
#10 – Never Rarely Sometimes Always, directed by Eliza Hitman
This was the film that I probably had the hardest time figuring out where to rank. From a quality standpoint, the story, screenplay, direction and performances are excellent. It’s just not the type of movie I could see myself returning to anytime soon, since it’s a heavy drama. In my mid-year movie report, I ranked this as the best drama that I saw in the first half of the year, noting in particular the performance of newcomer Sidney Flanigan in the lead role. She plays a teenager who travels with her cousin from rural Pennsylvania to New York City to terminate her pregnancy. The film highlights the struggles women in this country still face when it comes to reproductive rights, but not through a loud movie with protests and courtroom scenes. Instead, writer-director Eliza Hitman chooses to have us experience this ordeal through the eyes of an everyday teenager just trying to get by in life. It’s a small-budget film, with actors that you won’t recognize, but a story that is as important as any other you could watch this year. This was truly an impressive accomplishment in filmmaking, featuring one of the most moving sequences I saw all year, the scene that gave the movie its title.
#9 – Palm Springs, directed by Max Barbakow
Now, if I had to pick one movie that I know I will rewatch when I want a light-hearted delightful comedy, Palm Springs would be on the short list. If you read the synopsis of this film and think of Groundhog Day, rest assured that Palm Springs is a fresh take on the “trapped in one day” plot we’ve seen before. This time, our heroes are forced to repeat the same day while attending a wedding at a hotel in Palm Springs, California. Yes, we do get the rinse and repeat style of certain scenes repeating which can become tiring, but the chemistry of Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti make Palm Springs a winning film. There is a nice balance of panic, desperation, resolve, and enjoyment, that combine for the perfect blend of comedic moments with reflections of the meaning of life. We spend a little time on “why” this happened to them, but we don’t get too bogged down in the mechanics. Instead, the script focuses on maximizing the comedic talent of Samberg and Milioti, along with a fantastic performance from J.K. Simmons as another guest trapped in the repeating day cycle. Palm Springs was one of my favorite comedies of the year, primarily because it’s not trying too hard. Bring together a great script, a strong cast, and let them shine. Rinse and repeat.
#8 – The Trial of the Chicago 7, directed by Aaron Sorkin
If there is one thing that we know about Aaron Sorkin, it’s his talent for bringing together a compelling story, writing the shit out of a screenplay, and delivering a product that represents a good old-fashioned Hollywood Popcorn Movie. Going all the way back to A Few Good Men and The American President, through The Social Network, Moneyball, and Steve Jobs, he has played a role in some of the best movies of the last thirty years, not to mention his success on television. With his new film, he not only wrote the screenplay, but also directed the story of the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and subsequent trial of the accused protest organizers.
Sorkin does a nice job of navigating back and forth between the trial and the events leading up to the clashes between the protesters and the Chicago police. The cast of this film is absolutely loaded, but the standout performances for me were Mark Rylance (as the defendants’ attorney), Yahya Abdul-Matten II (as protester and Black Panther party member Bobby Seale), and Sacha Baron Cohen (very effective as protester Abbie Hoffman, despite a distracting accent). The film is an insightful examination of the meaning of freedom of speech, government control, and the fundamental rights of expressing one’s opposition to an issue. It’s impossible to watch The Trial of the Chicago 7, and not think about a number of events that we witnessed in 2020, especially when Hoffman hesitates before answering a question while on the witness stand, saying “I’m not used to being on trial for my thoughts.” There are a few parts of the movie that I wanted to work a little better (loud music during the protest scenes, and an ending that I wish was a little more compelling), and there was a more effective courtroom drama film this year that I’ll cover next week, but overall this is an excellent movie. Sorkin has once again delivered a strong film that will likely earn some Oscar nominations as we move through award season.
#7 – Hamilton, directed by Thomas Kail
I find myself writing my thoughts about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s brilliant musical on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the inauguration. The irony of watching the transfer of power (no, I won’t use the word “peaceful” after the events of January 6th) while thinking about this story of our founding fathers hit me as I started writing today. It certainly wasn’t intentional. I often try to find a good time of day to write based on the mood I am in and when I can fit in some creative time around appointments with clients I am mentoring. It just so happened that I had time on Wednesday and Hamilton was next on the list. Funny how things work out like that. You won’t be surprised to hear that I breathed a sigh of relief when 12:00 rolled around on Inauguration Day, or as I referred to it, Adults Are In Charge Again Day. My cousin Lesley couldn’t have said it any better – “Goodbye. Good riddance. What’s next?” (That last line is for fans of The West Wing). Anyway, moving right along.
If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog, you already know my love for the film adaptation of Hamilton that premiered on Disney+ last Summer. I have long been an admirer of artists who can create a compelling story, bring music to life with beautiful melodies and lyrics, or inspire viewers with images that leave a lasting impression. When you have a work of art that combines all of those creations, you have one of the greatest pieces of entertainment ever created. I have always been fascinated at the creative process someone goes through in writing a song, or creating a movie. How they can take a kernel of an idea and expand it into something wondrous. There were two recent videos I came across that demonstrated this in action. The first is an episode of the Netflix series Song Exploder, which is based on a podcast of the same name, hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway (who also co-hosted “The West Wing Weekly” podcast). Song Exploder features the writers of a song tearing it apart, explaining how they built it from scratch, and the second episode featured Miranda discussing Wait for It, from Hamilton. It was a fascinating examination of the songwriting process. Another mind-blowing video that I never saw until recently, was Miranda performing a very early version of the opening song to Hamilton during the White House Poetry Jam in 2009. If you haven’t seen this one, check it out here – it’s a lot of fun, especially watching the crowd’s reaction to a song so foreign in concept at the time, but one that would become a massive hit six years later.
As I’ve thought about this musical, I also come back to how fortunate Miranda was in assembling such a brilliant cast and production team. You’ll often hear filmmakers say that in addition to a great script, production design, budget, and cast, you need a little luck. And I feel that the casting plays a big part in that concept of luck. Until you start production, you don’t really know if it’s going to work. And with a Broadway play, until you perform it for audiences, it’s just an idea that a small group of people think is great. Fortunately, Hamilton has an all-star team who came together to perform this musical, and we are lucky that it was filmed with the original cast. As much as I give credit to Miranda for everything he did over many years to create Hamilton from scratch, to me the MVP of the show is Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Aaron Burr. He has two of the best songs (Wait for It and The Room Where It Happens), and serves as the “narrator” throughout the show, kicking off a number of the songs. Speaking of Odom, you can see him as singer Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami, Regina King’s excellent new film just released on Amazon Prime. I was also very impressed with Daveed Diggs (who plays Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson), Phillipa Soo (as Eliza Hamilton), and in one of the funniest performances, Jonathan Groff as King George III, portrayed as a jilted lover after a breakup, singing songs that resemble the best of Elton John. Hamilton will probably be the most unique experience I will have watching a musical / film and I look forward to the day when I can see it live on stage. Until then, a rewatch on Disney+ is just a click away.
#6 – Soul, directed by Pete Docter
Speaking of Disney+, the company with a platform that is rapidly gaining on Netflix released its 2020 marquee film directly to streaming, bypassing a theatrical release. I have never been one to watch a lot of animated movies, but the strong reviews of Soul convinced me to check it out. My memories of the few Disney / Pixar films I have seen over the last thirty or so years made me feel like they were 80% geared towards kids, and 20% geared towards adults, whether it was those nice moments that made you think of your childhood, or little Easter eggs that made adults laugh but went right over the kids’ heads. Soul, on the other hand, felt like it had the opposite ratio.
Directed by Pete Docter, who has a storied career with Pixar Films and has been involved with some of the biggest projects all the way back to Toy Story in 1995, Soul is an introspective movie about loss, the meaning of life, and what happens to us when we die. It’s got some heavy stuff in it. Now, that’s not to say that kids won’t enjoy it. There are some aspects of the film that will play very well with children, especially the scenes where the two main characters (played by Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey) interact in a body-switch plot point. But the overall themes are ones that will make you think about some pretty deep ideas, while also make you appreciate all that you have in life. A particularly relevant theme in a year like 2020.
If Soul feels a little too deep for you, especially when we are still in the dark times of a pandemic, I’ll share with you a recent revelation. In doing some research for this post, I was surprised at the number of Pixar films that had come out since Toy Story debuted in 1995. There are over twenty of them and they are all on Disney+. We were feeling a little stressed the other night and when deciding what to watch, we fired up Disney+ and watched Toy Story, and it delivered exactly what we needed. I’m sure we’ll work our way through the Pixar catalogue one by one, especially when we need a laugh in the coming weeks and months. A little comfort movie for the “soul” if you will.
Bonus Pick – Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself, directed by Frank Oz
OK, this has nothing to do with my top 10 list for 2020, but I couldn’t wait to share my thoughts on this amazing film that was just released today. I know I am constantly providing suggestions of movies that I enjoy that may be causing your watchlist to grow out of control, but trust me on this one. I have a hard time describing my thoughts after watching it, except to say that it gave me a lot to think about and I found it to be an amazing work of art. The film is a recording of magician Derek DelGaudio’s theater show that he performed over 500 times. While DelGaudio is a magician and he performs some sleight of hand throughout the show, this isn’t a “magic show.” It’s a journey of one man’s thoughts about identity, who we are, who we want to be, and who others think we are. Throughout the film, he weaves together parables, stories from his childhood, and yes, some magic tricks (a few of which will blow your mind). I know I provide a lot of recommendations, but if you are looking for one movie to watch this weekend, check out In & Of Itself (and I highly recommend putting your phone down during the entire 90 minutes). It’s on Hulu, which continues to pile up strong acquisitions like Run, Happiest Season, Palm Springs, and the film that is #5 on my list which I will cover next week. If you want to hear more about In & Of Itself, check out the January 21st episode of “The Big Picture” podcast for an interview with DelGaudio and director Frank Oz.
That’s all for this week and the first part of my top ten list. If you’d like to find where to watch any of the movies I’ve covered here, you can go to JustWatch.com, or my Film Index. If you’d like to be notified of future posts, you can subscribe here. Thanks again for reading and I’ll be back next week for my top five. See you then.