February 11, 2022
Settling on my top five movies of the year was inevitably challenging because I was fortunate to see so many wonderful films over the course of the last twelve months. Also, because I think about this stuff way too much. Oh well, we are who we are, right? OK, if you missed the first half of my top ten, you can find it here. On to the top five.
#5 – Licorice Pizza – directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Life is messy. We all know that. It never plays out like you expect. And it doesn’t present itself in a neat and orderly fashion like a perfectly plotted film. That’s why it’s nice sometimes to watch a movie that isn’t necessarily: plot A, plot B, plot C, and ending. Some of the most realistic films are ones that just let us hang out with a handful of very interesting characters. And that is the case with Licorice Pizza, the latest from one of my favorite directors, Paul Thomas Anderson. If you are looking for a movie that delivers succinct plot points that are neatly tied up in a bow at the end, then this might not be the one for you. But if you just want to spend two hours experiencing a 1970s Southern California vibe, then jump in for a fun experience.
Anderson cast newcomers Cooper Hoffman (son of his frequent collaborator Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and Alana Haim (member of the family music group Haim) in their acting debuts as Gary and Alana. He’s a 15 year-old actor and wannabe businessman, wise beyond his years, but still flashing the immaturity of a teenager. She’s a 25 year-old trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, including joining Gary’s aspiring business ventures as an experiment. One of the criticisms of Licorice Pizza was the age difference of the two characters and while this is more of a “close friends” rather than “romantic” relationship, there is a little flirting and romantic interest throughout the film. But, Hoffman could pass for older than 15 and Haim could pass for younger than 25, so I didn’t find it distracting, and certainly not creepy.
As Gary and Alana meet and develop a friendship, we see them experience various ups and downs in their career aspirations, including Gary starting a waterbed business. Remember when waterbeds were a thing? Man, the 70s were a trip. Alana dabbles in different jobs, including auditioning for acting roles and joining the campaign of an aspiring politician. The best part of Licorice Pizza isn’t that we get to see a clean resolution of their relationship – instead we get to experience this short time period of their lives together, presented in various vignettes featuring a colorful cast of characters, and (like most of Anderson’s movies) a fantastic soundtrack. There have been frequent comparisons to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, and I kind of agree with that argument – partly for the music, but more importantly for Anderson’s masterful capturing of the 1970s. Everywhere you look in the movie (the cars, the arcades, the kids hanging out, the shag carpets, the wallpaper), you are back to the 1970s, and it’s a pretty cool feeling.
While Hoffman and Haim are the main characters, we get strong supporting turns (albeit in brief sections) from Bradley Cooper as film producer Jon Peters and Sean Penn as a veteran movie star, based on William Holden. Speaking of which, while Licorice Pizza isn’t considered a “true story” or “biopic,” Gary’s character is based on Gary Goetzman, a child actor who lived a colorful Hollywood life, which included some of the stories featured in the film. Goetzman would go on to become a successful producer, partnering with Tom Hanks on several projects over the years. Anderson took these stories, along with the idea of a high-school boy trying to ask out an older woman, coupled with his love of American Graffiti and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and created the world of Licorice Pizza. One more point of clarification – there is no reference to the title in the movie. Anderson has said that the 1970s era record store the film shares a name with always reminded him of his youth in Southern California during this time period. So, it seemed like a good name for the story of Gary and Alana.
We can’t end a discussion of Licorice Pizza without discussing the music. Like most of his films, which I covered in this post, the movie features a strong score of background music for many of his long tracking shots, but also great songs of the 1970s era. Similarly to Quentin Tarantino, Anderson has this talent of including songs that you forgot existed (like Diamond Girl by Seals & Crofts, and Stumblin’ In by Chris Norman and Suzi Quatro – that’s Leather Tuscadero, if you remember the 70s), lesser known songs by icons (Peace Frog by The Doors and But You’re Mine by Sonny & Cher), or iconic songs that fit perfectly into the scene in which they occur (Life on Mars? by David Bowie, and in one of the best sequences in the film, Let Me Roll It by Paul McCartney & Wings). Licorice Pizza has been described as a comedy-drama. While I would say that there weren’t any scenes that made me laugh out loud, and certainly nothing overly dramatic, I realized near the end of the movie that I think I had a smile on my face the entire time, just enjoying the ride. If you want to hang out in the Southern California Valley with Gary, Alana, and PTA, then Licorice Pizza is the perfect place to go. Licorice Pizza is now playing in theaters.
#4 – West Side Story – directed by Steven Spielberg
OK, new rule in Hollywood. Anytime a director makes a pitch to a studio to remake a Hollywood classic, they have to go sit in a theater and watch this film at least three or four times. Now, I would like to suggest that no one else can remake a classic movie except the gentlemen who directed this picture, but he just turned 75, so we need to consider that he won’t be making movies forever. If I had to pick one word to describe Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece it would be this: glorious.
When I wrote about the prospect of Spielberg taking on West Side Story, I noted there was some hesitation given the reverence paid to this movie, even after sixty years. After all, it won 10 Oscars and is considered one of the greatest musicals ever made, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Spielberg took the challenge to recreate the Romeo and Juliet tale set in 1950s New York City and not only honored the original film, but fixed some of its problems and created a more vibrant portrayal of this story, in my opinion.
The music and songs are largely the same as the original Broadway musical and 1961 film, while the choreography pops off the screen, especially in the large ensemble numbers. He did make a few minor changes, including refashioning the original character of the drugstore owner to cast Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for her performance as Anita in the original. She is fantastic, especially when she performs Somewhere near the end of the film, a song originally performed by Tony and Maria. Other highlights include a revamped version of Cool, as Tony tries to convince Riff and the other Jets to call off the rumble, and Gee, Officer Krupke, a fabulous slapstick number with the Jets making a mess of the police station.
What is most impressive about the movie to me, besides the wonderful music numbers and dancing sequences, is the way Spielberg captured them on screen in his first musical after 50 years in the business. At a local dance, while the rival communities interact on the dance floor, Spielberg moves the camera up, down, and around all of the performers in a way that is both dizzying and beautiful. The costumes and production design were top notch, capturing the beauty of individuals like Maria and Anita, while depicting the grimy area of New York City that was being torn down as part of a gentrification effort in the city.
The biggest problem with the original film was the cast, particularly White actors portraying Puerto Ricans, and some even wearing bronzing makeup to darken their skin. Natalie Wood, who portrayed Maria in the original, didn’t even have her singing included in the movie – it was replaced by a voice actor. In the new version, Spielberg’s casting decisions were (almost) perfect. I’ll get the obvious out of the way – Ansel Elgort (a fine actor, who was very good in Baby Driver) is a little wooden as Tony. It’s not that he’s bad – it’s just that compared to the other outstanding performers, he isn’t as impressive. The other lead characters are phenomenal – particularly Rachel Zegler as Maria. She is a star, with a capital “S.” Her nuance, innocence, and genuine love for Tony are felt on screen and her songs (particularly Tonight) were excellent. The other standout was Ariana DeBose as Anita, portraying a very challenging character, especially when the actor who was iconic in the original, is on set with her. It’s no surprise to learn that the highlight for DeBose was America, in which she leads an ensemble number down the streets of the city, while singing about her love for her new-found home. Two other actors that impressed me were Mike Faist as Riff, the leader of the Jets and Tony’s good friend, and David Alvarez as the Sharks leader Bernando, who is also Anita’s boyfriend and Maria’s older brother. While West Side Story does drag in a few parts (it runs 2 ½ hours, like the original), I can understand Spielberg’s desire to remain faithful to the first version and the Broadway version. And in today’s world where there are many mediocre films running in excess of two hours, I’ll gladly sit in a theater watching a brilliant movie from a legendary director as long as he tells me to. West Side Story is now playing in theaters and will premiere on Disney+ and HBO Max on March 2nd.
#3 – The Power of the Dog – directed by Jane Campion
My Oscar preview will be coming soon, but it’s safe to say that you will be hearing a lot about this film ahead of next month’s award ceremony, following its twelve nominations (most of any film) that were announced this week. And that attention is well earned, because The Power of the Dog is a masterpiece.
Occasionally you get a movie that has a fantastic plot, but looks like crap – terrible sets or production design and the film just looks flat. Or, you can see a beautiful period piece with lush backgrounds, fantastic performances, and beautiful costumes, but the story goes nowhere. You finish watching it and think, “Wow, that looked beautiful, but what was the point?” The wonderful thing about The Power of the Dog is that it combines the best of both kinds of these movies. It was clear from the beginning that the film was going to look beautiful and you wouldn’t be disappointed with the aesthetic feel of the movie. But as the slow burn Western continued, I started to worry if the story would pay off, but I shouldn’t have been concerned, because director Jane Campion stuck the landing.
Set in 1925 Montana, The Power of the Dog was adapted from a 1967 novel written by Thomas Savage based in part on his experiences growing up in a similar environment. Brothers Phil and George own a ranch, having accumulated a nice lifestyle for themselves, for 1920s Montana. Phil is an abrasive and abusive bully, with some serious repression issues, who constantly criticizes his brother for not being as tough as him and his childhood hero, Bronco Henry, who taught Phil the ways of being a cowboy. George meets and falls in love with Rose, who moves to the family ranch, along with her teenage son, Peter, after a quick marriage. Phil takes an instant dislike to Rose and Peter, assuming they are only after the family money, creating tension among the characters that slowly builds over the course of the film.
Campion has limited movie directing credits to her name, but made 1993’s The Piano, which earned her an Oscar for Best Screenplay and acting wins for Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin. While she hasn’t had a lot of mainstream success in the years since this recognition, her work on The Power of the Dog shows that she certainly has an incredible eye for telling this story. She filmed the movie in her native New Zealand, with the beautiful landscape serving the setting for the Montana ranch. Complementing the scenery is a phenomenal score by Jonny Greenwood (of the band Radiohead), a frequent collaborator of Paul Thomas Anderson and who also wrote an amazing score for 2021’s Spencer, the Princess Diana movie which was pretty good. Greenwood creates a natural tension with his music choices of strings and brass instruments, complementing the screenplay and camera shots the Campion chooses to capture the tension among Phil, George, Rose and Peter. But there is one thing above all that makes this film special – the performances.
Benedict Cumberbatch plays Phil in a manner that is reminiscent of Daniel Day-Lewis’s work in There Will Be Blood – a man determined to do whatever the hell he pleases, and step on anyone who gets in his way. Cumberbatch reportedly never broke character on the set of the film, choosing to go “full method acting” to not lose the intensity and evil of his character, a move frequently made by Day-Lewis. George and Rose are played by Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst, who are married in real life and just received their first Oscar nominations for their work. Plemons doesn’t have a ton to do with this character, but that’s ok, because it gives Dunst room to deliver a fantastic performance. She is constantly on edge about what Phil will do next, as she slowly descends into madness, worrying about her son. And let’s talk about this last performance. Newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Peter, an effeminate aspiring doctor, who rubs Phil and all the other cowboys the wrong way. They verbally abuse him for not being as tough as they are, not realizing that he is wise beyond his years. Smit-McPhee is a revelation in this role, showing strong range across his different interactions with Cumberbatch and Dunst throughout the film.
The Power of the Dog is the kind of picture that Hollywood always loves and the Academy usually honors with many Oscars, so the twelve nominations is not a surprise. Period piece, costume drama, based on a novel, with high-stakes performances from strong actors across the board. That being said, it might not be for everybody. I’ve read reactions from people saying they found it slow and boring. I was engrossed from the very beginning, admiring the slow-burn feeling, eager to see where the story would take me, while admiring the wonderful visuals and music. I also think the fact that most people are seeing The Power of the Dog on Netflix is impacting reactions. It’s very easy to get distracted while watching a movie in your home during slow parts. If everyone saw this in a theater, with the feeling of being captured by the big screen, I think word of mouth about the film would be stronger. But at least with a release on a streaming service, it makes it easy for everyone to watch it at their convenience, especially with the concerns of going to the theaters these days. My advice if you decide to check it out – turn down the lights, put down the phone, fire up the television, and enjoy the kind of high-quality film that we don’t see too often anymore. The Power of the Dog is now streaming on Netflix.
#2 – Dune – directed by Denis Villeneuve
Of all the trips I took to the theater in 2021, the most impactful one (hands down) was my trip to an IMAX theater last October to see Dune, shortly after its release. Not only was the crowd bigger than I usually see during a weekday matinee (my son and I saw it during an evening screening), the visual presentation of this story blew me away. The story, special effects and immersive nature of the movie left me so engrossed in what I was watching that I couldn’t believe it when the 2 ½ hour runtime was over. My son and I both looked at each other and said, “Wow, that flew by!” And guess what? We get part two of this story next year.
Director Denis Villeneuve took on the monumental challenge of bringing to life the 1965 Frank Herbert epic novel that is beloved by millions. That novel spawned a franchise of books that continue to this day, as well as a 1984 film adaptation directed by David Lynch. As much as I like Lynch’s work, I’ve never seen that movie, mostly because it was panned as a failure to accurately reflect the world Herbert created, and I didn’t want it to impact my impression of Villeneuve’s version. Lynch has said over the years that he admits the film didn’t work and that he didn’t stand up to the studios enough when they insisted on changes to the movie to make it more marketable.
The big challenge for Villeneuve in making Dune was twofold – first, he needed to capture a brand-new world on the screen, one involving a sand-covered planet with threatening sandworms looming to endanger the people living there. He also needed to make a pretty complicated plot with unique concepts and terms accessible to audiences not familiar with the plot of the novel. Having virtually no knowledge about the world of Dune or the plot points, I had no trouble following what was going on, for two main reasons. The first is that Villeneuve helps explain things with a combination of narration (a small amount, not distracting or lazy to be considered exposition overload) and showing us the protagonist of the story, a teenage boy, learning about the world from family members and interactive teachings he is studying. The second reason it was easy to follow is that we’ve seen these kinds of stories many times before. It doesn’t matter that you don’t know why the “spice” on the planet is important to all parties. This is a story about politics, royal families, betrayal, good guys and bad guys, and learning to become an adult before you are ready to be one.
The special effects and sound design Villeneuve brings to the film are incredible. The scope and sheer magnitude of the world he creates is breathtaking. The story centers on Paul, played by Timothee Chalamet, who is the son of the Duke and Duchess of House Atreides. They are granted oversight of Arrakis, the sand-covered planet, with the task of harvesting spice, an important natural resource critical to space travel. What transpires are twists and turns, some outstanding action sequences, a few mystery characters that emerge who will likely have bigger roles in the sequel, and a few interactions with enormous sandworms that will leave you breathless. Paul faces some crises that most teenage boys don’t have to deal with – he is the heir to his father’s kingdom, and he has inherited advanced mental abilities from his mother, leading some to believe he is the chosen one to save the people of Arrakis from a rival gang of spice warlords. So, yeah, he’s got a lot going on. Oh, I should probably mention this movie takes place in the future. Quite a bit in the future, actually. About 8,000 years in the future to be clearer. So, yeah, there are some wild things going on in this world. But don’t be intimidated. We didn’t know what the “force” was the first time we watched Star Wars, but we quickly figured it out. Dune is the same way – pay attention early on and you won’t have a hard time following the ride. And what a ride it is. Dune is now available on DVD and to rent on demand. It is also still playing in select theaters and will be returning to HBO Max on March 10th.
#1 CODA – directed by Sian Heder
I first saw this movie over a year ago, when it premiered during the Sundance Film Festival, and I wrote about my love for it here. CODA hit me hard. In a good way. It’s hard to say why that was the case at that time. It could have been the quality family story, the strong music numbers (music always impacts me in emotional films), the fact that my wife had been dealing with a serious health issue the same week we watched it, or because we were still in the middle (beginning?) of the pandemic. I don’t know what it was, but I was emotionally drained and instantly put CODA at the top of my 2021 movie list. Throughout the rest of the year, with every new release that I watched, I’d insert it into my rankings, in preparation for this year-end series. And every time I watched something that blew me away (like most of this top 10), I told myself, “Well, it was great, but not as great as CODA.” So, CODA stayed in my #1 slot the entire year. As I got to the holidays, I thought that maybe I should watch it again to see how it stacked up with the other movies I had ranked highly during the year. After all, it had been a long time since I saw it, and the film was readily available on a streaming service, so I fired it up a few days before the end of the year.
And. It. Wrecked. Me.
Again.
When I get asked for movie recommendations, my first reaction is, “What do you like?” Because everyone has different tastes – if I like a science-fiction picture, a dark comedy, or even a horror movie, it might not be for everyone. I think it’s safe to say that I would recommend CODA to anyone. Heck, I’ve been recommending it for over a year! It’s the heartwarming story of Ruby, a teenager with deaf parents and a deaf brother who run a fishing business in Gloucester, Massachusetts. As the only hearing member of her family (CODA stands for Child of Deaf Adult), Ruby has shouldered the burden of being the backstop for her family’s business matters, frequently needing to translate for all of them. She is being pulled in multiple directions, including a new love for singing and potential acceptance into Berklee College, a promising relationship with a boy in the school choir, and her natural desire to branch out on her own. CODA was the overwhelming winner of the Sundance Film Festival (albeit smaller in size compared to typical years), has been on several critical top ten lists, and just received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. There are a few schmaltzy moments, and a couple of plot points you’ll see coming from a mile away, but that’s ok with me. All of the film, particularly the last twenty minutes, reminded me why I love movies so much, and why I started this crazy blog over two years ago. That’s CODA – my favorite movie of the year. CODA is now streaming on Apple TV+.
That’s it for this week. I hope you enjoyed my look at the year in film – 2021 certainly had a lot to offer, regardless of your taste in movies. If you want to revisit any of my previous posts, you can find my mid-year report at these links: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, where some of the great movies I covered include Dream Horse, In the Heights, Concrete Cowboy, No Sudden Move, Pig and Shiva Baby. You can also see all of the movies I’ve covered at my film index here. And if you are a true glutton for punishment, you can check out my top 100 movies of 2021 on Letterboxd, here. I’ll be off next week, but back in two weeks for a preview of this year’s Oscars. If you would like to be notified of future posts, you can subscribe here.