February 4, 2022
As I made my way through 2021, I kept a running list of my favorite films and ranking (shocker, I know). Beginning the process of capturing my thoughts on so many movies was an arduous one, as I constantly had opinions running through my head – some that emerged real-time, others that came to me days or weeks later, after I had time to reflect on what the movie made me feel and if I felt compelled to write about it. I obviously couldn’t tackle everything I saw – that would be a 50-part post and who wants to read that? So, I picked about 25 films, including my top ten and wrote about most of those in parts 1 and 2, which you can read here and here if you missed them. Now it’s time to cover my ten favorite movies of the year, which I spent way too much time thinking about (shocker again, I know.) Before we jump into the top ten, a few words about an honorable mention.
Honorable Mention – Drive My Car – directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi
The rest of my list didn’t include any foreign language films and while there were some good ones I saw this year, there was one that stood out that I only recently had a chance to see. It is also the only picture in my top twenty that I have yet to write about. Drive My Car is a Japanese film about a theater actor and director who deals with the grief of loss in his life, while directing a stage adaptation of Uncle Vanya, the 19th century play. While he is working with the other members of the production, he befriends his driver, a young woman who is also dealing with her own grief. The film features fantastic performances from all of the cast, but particularly Hidetoshi Nishijima as the lead character. I’m not sure if I would have seen this movie, especially considering its three-hour runtime, but it has received universal acclaim from critics and viewers who saw it. And I’m certainly glad I checked it out. It’s a wonderful depiction of a man going through a midlife crisis of sorts, pondering his accomplishments in life, and relishing in the bond of friendship and a connection with a person experiencing something similar in their life, despite their very different age and background. Drive My Car won the Best Picture award from many critics’ associations and could be in the mix for Best International Film and maybe even Best Picture when the Academy Award nominations come out next week. Drive My Car is now playing in select theaters.
OK, on to my official top 10.
#10 – Judas and the Black Messiah – directed by Shaka King
It’s pretty cool when you are watching a performance of an actor early in their career and you think to yourself, “Wow, that person is going to be on the screen delivering wonderful performances for the next thirty or forty years. That’s definitely the case with a few actors in movies coming up on this list. It’s also neat to think back to early roles of actors that we now know as superstars and acting veterans – thinking of Tom Hanks in Splash, Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, or even smaller movies like Nicole Kidman in Dead Calm, or Amy Adams in Junebug. Watching those films many years later makes you see just how much potential they showed in those performances, knowing that we would see them on screen for the next few decades.
I was thinking about this concept recently when I started to gather my thoughts about Judas and the Black Messiah. The two stars of the film, Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, are both in their early 30s and while this wouldn’t be considered a breakout role for them (they both gained notoriety for 2017’s Get Out), this is the movie that demonstrated to me that we are in for a fantastic number of performances from them over the coming years. Kaluuya plays Fred Hampton, the leader of the Chicago chapter of The Black Panthers in 1968. Stanfield plays William O’Neal, a small-time thief who is coerced by the FBI into infiltrating the Panthers to provide them information about their plans and dirt on Hampton. The agent running the operation (the always wonderful Jesse Plemons) uses the threat of prison time to keep O’Neal engaged in the operation.
Kaluuya won most of the praise for this role, and several awards, including Best Supporting Actor at last year’s Oscars. This is one of the few 2021 releases I am writing about that qualified for the 2020 Academy Awards because of the extended eligibility period and it was released in early 2021. While Kaluuya is wonderful and electrifying as Hampton, especially during the scenes where he is giving speeches to large audiences, to me Stanfield was just as impressive, especially when I recently rewatched the film. He plays the character’s conflicting emotions in such a powerful way throughout the movie. It reminded me a lot of Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of a similar character in The Departed. It wasn’t just the same plot point of someone undercover in an organization – Stanfield captured the paranoia, the fear, and the feeling of betrayal by blatantly lying to his comrades, some of whom became his friends. It’s even worse for Stanfield, as his character feels a sense of connectivity with the Panthers’ cause, whereas DiCaprio’s character was involved with a bunch of scumbag mobsters. This is an incredible movie with two top-notch performances by actors I look forward to watching for a long time to come. Judas and the Black Messiah is now streaming on HBO Max.
#9 – Last Night in Soho – directed by Edgar Wright
As I was pulling together the movies for my top ten list, I had this realization that I managed to have a variety of genres throughout the picks I made. It certainly wasn’t by design – it just kind of worked out that way. While I don’t have a pure comedy in the style of 2020’s Palm Springs (one of my top ten films from that year that I need to rewatch – it’s so good), I do have one that would be considered a comedy-drama, so we’ll call that close enough. My #9 movie, however, is decidedly not that. This one fits into the psychological horror category, and one with a fantastic vibe and soundtrack that overcomes a storyline that one could argue is a little clunky and flimsy. But that’s ok – it’s rare to find a perfect movie.
Edgar Wright is not the most well-known filmmaker, but he is one of the more talented ones working today. He gained a cult-following after his 2004 zombie comedy, Shaun of the Dead, which is very funny. He made two other movies with some of the same themes and actors that are decent, but not as good as that one. My first experience with his work was watching 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, which was based on a Canadian graphic novel series. It’s kind of hard to describe this one – part comedy, part fantasy, part action movie – but it’s got a killer soundtrack, great deadpan humor, creative special effects, and once again attracted a cult-following. His biggest hit was probably 2017’s Baby Driver, an action-heist story featuring an ensemble of well-known actors and Ansel Elgort, who played the titular character. Now that you basically know the arc of his career, you can see that he has been willing to try different types of films over the years, a trait I love in a director.
Last Night in Soho is the story of Ellie, a young woman who moves from the English countryside to the heart of London to attend fashion school. While struggling to fit in, she decides to move out of the dorms and into her own apartment, renting a room from an elderly woman. And that’s when the trouble starts…. Ellie (played by Thomasin McKenzie, in a wonderful performance) starts dreaming of going back in time to the 1960s and seeing an aspiring singer trying to get her career started. That character is Sandie, played by Anya Taylor-Joy (The King’s Gambit), who is fast becoming one of the best and sought-after actors under 30 working today. While having dreams is one thing, what Ellie experiences is something scary – she feels like she is actually traveling back in time and the interactions feel REAL, even impacting her life during the day, when she is awake. With each “trip”, the stakes increase and Ellie slowly begins to realize that Sandie may be in grave danger. It’s probably best to stop there in terms of plot description, to not spoil anything.
Last Night in Soho was one of my more anticipated films of 2021 and I would say that it largely lived up to my expectations. The production design Wright uses to create the 1960s London atmosphere is perfect and the dream sequences are incredible, especially where Ellie and Sandie “mirror” each other. Another staple of Wright’s films is a strong soundtrack – here he chooses some nice tunes that represent that 1960s London pop vibe, including a few lesser-known tracks by The Kinks and The Who, as well as two songs sung by Taylor-Joy, including a wonderful rendition of Petula Clark’s Downtown. The one downside is that the ending feels a little clumsy, but it’s hard when you are comparing it to a thrilling first half of the movie. Despite that minor criticism, I know that I will rewatch this one again and again. Last Night in Soho is now available on DVD and to rent on demand.
#8 – Nightmare Alley – directed by Guillermo del Toro
What do you get when you combine Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Rooney Mara and Willem Dafoe starring in a noir film remake of a 1947 classic, directed by the man who won Best Picture and Best Director four years ago? Surefire hit, right? Massive box office success, right? Nope and nope. The reaction to this movie baffled me. As I mentioned in part one of my year in review, this is one of several adult dramas that just didn’t resonate with audiences this year. I’m hoping people find it on streaming, because I loved it and even went to check out the black and white version of the film that was just released – and it was just as good.
Guillermo del Toro, who won his Oscars for The Shape of Water, which I never saw, is well-known for being a master of filmmaking technique, and all of his talents are on display in Nightmare Alley. The picture is a Depression-era story of Stan (Bradley Cooper in a phenomenal performance – it’s a real shame more people did not see what he does with this role), a down on his luck man who joins a traveling carnival as a carny. As he meets some of the performers (including Mara and Collette) and the carnival’s owner (Dafoe), he learns the sleight of hand and illusionary tricks they perform for their crowds. Stan slowly expands his responsibilities, including developing talents as a mentalist and starting a relationship with Molly (played by Mara), a performer who soon becomes his partner. About halfway through the movie, we shift timelines and jump ahead to Stan and Molly as a successful act bringing in big crowds and making good money. They are approached by a psychologist (Blanchett playing up the 1940s-style role in all its glory) who has a scam proposal for Stan.
I wasn’t sure what to make of Nightmare Alley going into it – I hadn’t seen any of del Toro’s films, and it is a little long (two and a half hours). But I admire all the actors and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it. Now, I never saw the original so I have no reference point comparison, but if you like classic noir films, I highly recommend this one. It might feel a little slow at times, but this is a great example of a slow burn movie that climaxes with an excellent finish. The performances are all great, even if Blanchett is a little over the top at times. And what del Toro does with the camera in this film is amazing – the capturing of the landscape of the carnival settings, and the 1940s vibe of the second half of the picture were perfect and beautiful. Hopefully more people check this one out, because it’s an excellent work of art. Nightmare Alley is now streaming on HBO Max and Hulu.
#7 – King Richard – directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green
At this point you might be asking yourself, “For God’s sake Steve, don’t you have anything light-hearted to recommend?” Why, yes I do. How about a feel-good inspirational family story? OK, let’s go. Will Smith is front and center as Richard Williams, the father of tennis phenoms Venus and Serena. We’re all somewhat familiar with their backstory – two girls who grew up in Compton, California and had to learn the game on city courts, without the benefit of a country club membership. Their father was a big part of the story as they rose to success, constantly touting their greatness, even before they demonstrated it on the court. He was the ultimate promoter of his daughters’ promise and potential, and even a promoter of himself as the best father and coach for his girls. This is their story.
Let’s start with the obvious – anytime you go into a “true story”, you have to ask yourself what kind of movie am I going into? Is it a hatchet job made by someone with an ax to grind? Or is it a biased project because of the people who made it? Well, Venus and Serena served as executive producers on the film, which means they were involved to some extent and probably influenced the story that was told. And that may not be a bad thing, depending on what you want from a movie. For this particular story, I don’t need a critical examination of whether or not Richard Williams was a good or bad father and husband. Did he push his daughters too hard? Most likely. Does the film make him out to be a bad guy? No, but it also doesn’t portray him as someone who is perfect. If you go into this movie looking for an inspiring family film and don’t care if it’s 100% accurate, then this is for you.
Smith is outstanding as a dad who will do anything and everything for his girls. He is constantly teaching them on the court, ensuring they are getting strong grades in school, and not getting too full of themselves when they achieve any level of success. And he is not doing it alone. Aunjanue Ellis portrays his wife Brandy who not only loves and cares for her girls with all of her heart, but she is the only one who pushes back on her husband to any kind of success. Despite the challenges that come their way in trying to get their girls the coaching and caring that they need, she is the only one he will listen to when he is challenged.
I liked King Richard for a lot of reasons. For starters, it doesn’t try to do too much. We don’t get the full examination of Venus and Serena’s career, except in the closing credits. And that’s ok, because we saw it all happen in real-time, which wasn’t very long ago. In fact, the film only really tracks Venus’s emergence onto the national scene. Serena hasn’t even started her playing career yet by the end of the movie. Instead, we see the early day challenges of the family and their ability to shake up the status quo of the historically white world of tennis. The supporting cast features two great character actors – Tony Goldwyn and Jon Bernthal – as the girls’ tennis coaches, and Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton are wonderful as Venus and Serena. I also thought that the tennis scenes were well-done and realistic, which can be a problem with poorly made sports films. Sometimes it’s great to watch an absorbing slow-burn drama, and sometimes it’s just as fun to watch a wonderful family popcorn movie. King Richard is playing in limited theaters and is available on demand, but should be returning to HBO Max very soon.
#6 – The Last Duel – directed by Ridley Scott
Twenty or thirty years ago this is exactly the kind of movie the Academy would have rewarded with many Oscar nominations and maybe even a Best Picture win and Directing Oscar for its legendary filmmaker. Two A-list Hollywood stars. Two of the best actors working today that we will be watching on screen for the next twenty or thirty years. An 84-year-old legend still showing why he has been delivering high-quality films for over forty years. A period piece action drama with a creative (albeit one we’ve seen before) narrative choice. Alas, as I have covered a few times during this series, the audience didn’t show up and it hasn’t received much award consideration. Oh well, it doesn’t take away from what we see on the screen.
As I wrote about in my Fall preview, The Last Duel is based on a 2004 book about the true story of a 14th century duel between two men with a rape accusation at the center of the dispute. Matt Damon and Adam Driver play the lead characters who were once best friends and war heroes, but became bitter enemies after business and politics drove a wedge into their friendship. Years later, Driver attacks and rapes Damon’s wife, played by Jodie Comer in a phenomenal performance. Or did he? The background of the relationship and interactions among the three characters, as well as Ben Affleck, who serves as an overlord for the King of France, are told to us via three viewpoints – Damon’s, Driver’s, and Comer’s. Before each chapter begins, we see on screen “The truth according to…” followed by the character’s name. This has been done before – the so-called Rashomon method, named after the 1950 Akira Kurosawa classic. Through each chapter we see a few scenes repeated, but mostly it’s other scenes that add to the perspectives and put into question some of the opinions and claims we saw previously – not just about the incident in question, but the motives and actions by the three main characters.
This is another slow-burn movie with a long runtime (about 2 ½ hours), but the payoff at the end is excellent. Scott did a wonderful job creating the world of 14th century France, reminding us of what he did with the Roman Empire in Gladiator. But like that 2000 Oscar-winner, some of the battle sequences in The Last Duel are particularly violent, and the sequence where Driver’s character attacks and rapes Comer’s is disturbing, especially when we see it from her viewpoint in the third act. So, if that might bother you, just a word of caution going into the film.
The performances from all three main characters in The Last Duel are top-notch – Damon as the egotistical selfish husband, Driver as the best friend that we never know if we can trust, and Comer as the suffering, tortured wife of an asshole. Affleck almost steals the show in a role that offers some comedic relief as he puts his debauchery lifestyle on full display, playing someone who clearly has no f*cks left to give. This was not the only supporting role that he had this year that impressed critics and viewers. He plays the uncle to an aspiring writer in The Tender Bar, a coming of age comedy-drama directed by George Clooney. That movie was very good, made even better by a great performance by Affleck. These two roles show us that, despite his leading man performances over the years, he can add a lot to a picture in a supporting role. Perhaps (like Clooney), that will be his road to an acting Oscar. He already has one for producing Best Picture Argo and co-writing Good Will Hunting twenty-five years ago. Speaking of which, The Last Duel was the first script that Affleck and Damon wrote together since that 1997 movie put them on the Hollywood map. They smartly brought in Nicole Holofcener to help them with the screenplay, especially the third act, which is told from the perspective of Comer’s character. With all the talent on display in this movie and behind the camera, much like Nightmare Alley, I suspect that this film will be much more appreciated down the road and I hope Affleck and Damon write another screenplay together very soon. The Last Duel is now streaming on HBO Max.
That’s all for this week. I’ll be back with my five favorite movies of 2021 next week including a coming of age story, a wonderful musical that I loved so much I went back to the theater to see it a second time, a science fiction masterpiece, a slow burn Western that might win Best Picture, and a heartwarming family movie that wrecked me – twice – but in a good way. Thanks for reading and if you’d like to be notified of future posts, you can subscribe here.