Best of 2021 - End of Year Report

Well, film made it through 2021, mostly intact. There were more cinema closures around the world but a couple of delayed films from 2020 were finally released, though there's still a bit of a lag for others. A gall bladder removal in February meant no trips to the cinema for that month, but I managed to get to the big screen 68 times in all. So from a total of 125 films watched this year (112 first time viewings), here are the top ten films I saw in 2021. 

[Click on the titles for links to full reviews for all but number 10]

10. The Wicker Man (1973)

This is the Edward Woodward original from the 70s, not the Cage remake (though I'm keeping an open mind to that one). I shamefully hadn't seen this and I'm sorry I left it so long. It's a clever, moody, very bloody odd look at the perils of faith and conversely, curiosity. Christopher Lee is imperious, Britt Ekland stunning - her seduction of Woodward FROM A DIFFERENT ROOM has to be seen to be believed. A real cult classic.

9. The Last Duel (2021)

One of two Ridley Scott films this year (the other being the average House of Gucci), this gives us three versions of the truth surrounding a sexual assault in 14th century France. Jodie Comer, Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Ben Affleck all give great performances and the structuring doesn't fall into the trap of repeating itself - each rendition adds something, as well as omitting or altering things the previous chapter(s) highlighted. All this ratchets up the tension that erupts in the climactic duel. Scott, at the age of 84, has delivered his best film since...hmm, maybe Gladiator.

8. Nitram (2021)

Here's a lesson in how to handle a touchy subject, in this case, the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania in 1996. It's not so long ago that it's ancient history, many folk are still affected by the memory of it. But director, Justin Kurzel and writer, Shaun Grant have made a thoughtful, careful drama of quality. It helps if you can call on the likes of Anthony LaPaglia, Judy Davis, Essie Davis and, in the title role, an amazing Caleb Landry Jones. A slow dread gathers pace as the film plays out until it stops just short of that horrific day. Supremely made Aussie film.

7. The Collini Case (2019)

A gripping courtroom drama from Germany that starts out promising a fairly straightforward murder case, then shifts keel slightly to open up into themes of revenge, exclusion and legacy. Elyas M'Barek, as the wet behind the ears lawyer, is great, as is Alexandra Maria Lara, but the old fogies - Rainer Bock and Franco Nero - are superb. A good old eyebrow raiser of a film.

6. Dune (2021)

Much has been said of Denis Villeneuve's take on the Dune text, and it's certainly brilliant, but its lack of a satisfying conclusion keeps it out of the top 5 for me. Technically, it's probably the best all round film of the year, with peerless work on the cinematography, set and costume design, editing, sound and direction. Some of the practical effects are bloody jaw-dropping and Hans Zimmer's score is the best I can remember from him. Performances are roundly mint as well. Looking forward to the (hopeful) finale in a year or two.

5. Lamb (2021)

This is the kind of film my folks would call weird. It's an atmospheric, slow-paced drama/thriller about a farming couple who deliver a lamb that's not completely ovine. The simple structure and lack of bustle - it's set on a barren-looking farm in Iceland - concentrate the focus on the couple, played by Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason, the interloping brother (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson) and Ada, the unique child. To its credit, Lamb gets over the immediate explosion of incredulity and carries on with lots of things unsaid, to its fantastically misanthropic conclusion. An odd little masterpiece.

4. The Suicide Squad (2021)

After the crappy first attempt by David Ayer, the definite article was added, along with James Gunn, and out popped out an exciting, violent, and most importantly, funny film. Idris Elba, Margot Robbie and Daniela Melchior are standouts but everyone has a moment to shine. Great songs, visual flair and surprises throughout. Probably the most enjoyable cinema experience of the year.

3. Out in the Open (2019)

Lots to like about this Spanish drama from director, Benito Zambrano. It's about a boy on the run from a malevolent ranch foreman, whose reasons for wanting him back are vague but sinister. The kid falls in with a grizzled loner wandering the scorched landscape of Andalucia. It's set up for confrontation and that's what we get, in some of the tautest scenes of the year. Luis Tosar and Luis Callejo have over 200 acting credits combined, and this experience tells in their performances, while also sparking off the boy, played by the relative newcomer, Jaime Lopez. Seek this one out if you like your films uncompromisingly weathered.

2. No Time to Die (2021)

The final Bond film for Daniel Craig is as almost as good as his first, much better than the intervening three and is in contention for the the best 007 film of them all. The action is well paced and heart-pausing, the performances on note and the cinematography is positively artistic. By setting up a five film arc for Craig's Bond, the producers have enabled a pay-off unlike any of the other films in the franchise, and that's no mean feat. Bittersweet but thoroughly satisfying.

1. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020)

The longest title is also my pick for best of the year. This is a Hungarian film, part drama of the mundane, part mystery, part romance, part psychological thriller - there are so many ways to read this curious little mind-worm, I'm still not entirely sure how I made anything of it, to be honest. Director Lili Horvat teases excellent turns from Natasa Stork and Viktor Bodó, who play a pair of doctors who may or may not have had a recent, brief relationship in the US. There are missed meetings, denials, glanced misdemeanors, odd press conferences and hovering irritants in the form of young suitors and sensible psychiatrists. This all sounds hard to fathom but it's super intriguing and you may just find a completely different take on the whole thing. I reckon that's where it plays it's ace.

[Roly, Parizad, Merv and I talk about our top 5 films of the year in the following pod]