Skip to main content

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]

Labels:

Comments

  1. Ben Crappsley5 January 2022 at 16:46

    Excellent. Looking forward to watching all of these films in 2022.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shady5 January 2022 at 19:16

      Cheers, Ben. I didn't even have room for some of the great Revelation Festival films (Jumbo, The Last Horns of Africa, Paul Dood's Deadly Lunch Break, King Rocker, The Monopoly of Violence).

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Caught Stealing

Darren Aronofsky seems to have been more prolific but this is just his 9th feature since his debut, Pi , in 1998, which is, coincidentally, when this new film is set. And it's a film that wears its love for New York City on its sleeve. There are shots of the Twin Towers, streets full of rubbish, dingy apartments, and even a brief pass by of the iconic Kim's Video store (now immortalised in a documentary of the same name). Austin Butler stars as Hank, a former wunderkind baseball player whose careless driving ruined his pro sports future, but also crucially took the life of a friend, a passenger in the car. Some wag on Letterboxd said this film was a great advert for seatbelts, it's a recurring Public Service Announcement. Hank is getting by in NY, thinking of getting serious with his girlfriend, Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz), and generally wallowing in his lost opportunities.  Events turn when neighbour Russ (Matt Smith), an obnoxious punk geezer, pops back to Laaaahhnd'n for a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Ballad of Wallis Island

Tim Key adds value to every film or TV show he appears in but here he has found his perfect role. Of course, it helps if you write the thing yourself (with help from co-star, Tom Basden). Key plays Charles, a slightly buffoonish, slightly clever 'lord of the manor' type who has invited Basden's Herb to his lightly-populated island to play a gig. Herb was part of a reasonably successful folk duo in years past but is now solo, and experimenting with genres (As another character queries, "Is 'commercial' a genre?"). Charles has the means to pay handsomely for this intimate concert but Herb isn't aware just how intimate it promises to be. Nor is he aware that Charles has also invited the other half of McGwyer/Mortimer, Nell, to the island, in order to reunite after nearly 10 years. Nell is played by Carey Mulligan, another casting triumph. She's always great but is really natural and confident here, with a fine singing voice (also heard in Inside Llewy...
Post a Comment
Read more

Splitsville

This is the second film I've seen in a row where two blokes wrote the film and also starred in it ( see previous review ). This time round the two blokes are Michael Angelo Covino (also directing) and Kyle Marvin. The coup was signing Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona to play the wives, Julie and Ashley. On the face of it, it's hard to believe that these women would be with these two spuds, but the script allows for a suspension of disbelief. Marvin plays Carey, just over a year into marriage with Ashley (Arjona). On the way to a waterfront weekend with Paul and Julie (Covino and Johnson), Ashley explains that she wants a divorce. The trigger may have had something to do with them being part of a road accident death, a darkly amusing opening scene. Carey leaves the car in a panic and eventually finds his way to the beach house. Distraught, he decides to wallow with his friends until a discretion threatens to blow apart the relationship. To be clear, Julie and Paul's open rela...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Long Walk

I had a bit of time to spare while the car was getting a service so I decided to visit the Greater Union Morley cinemas one last time (it closed a few days after I saw this). I think this was the first cinema I went to when I came back from Japan in 2016 and sadly, it hadn't had a touch up since then, possibly not for a long time before either. Fingers crossed for a brand spanking new cinema complex one day.  Anyway, the film I saw was The Long Walk , and it's a bit of an oddity. It's based on a Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) book from 1979. King seems to have a thing for these dystopian 'last one standing' stories (see also The Running Man , an Arnie adaptation was made in 1987, and Edgar Wright has a new version up his sleeve, opening soon). Director Francis Lawrence returns to the theme of his Hunger Games films, riffing on Battle Royale , but also, many of these types of films where characters get picked off one by one, from Alien to Monty Python an...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Naked Gun

This uncalled for remake of 1988's The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is not a patch on the original, nor the TV show, Police Squad! that spawned them both. Director Akiva Schaffer has plenty of pedigree with stupid comedy, having directed oodles of Saturday Night Live episodes, as well as films like Hot Rod and The Watch . I haven't seen these films but I'm not about to now. The new Naked Gun has a fairly rapid rate of jokes - many successful - in the first 30 minutes or so, but once the film had to start servicing the plot, the laughs dried up. Throughout the film, the sight gags didn't work as well as the straight-faced wordplay, à la the 'awfully big mustache' classic from The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear . This might be due to the casting. Liam Neeson is fun and tries hard, but he doesn't get anywhere near Leslie Nielsen, though I thought Pamela Anderson was an improvement on Priscilla Presley (I guess being an actual actor helps). Ab...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sicilian Letters

This Italian Film Festival offering is a post-mafia story from writer/director pair, Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza. Ex-school principal and local politician, Catello (Toni Servillo) is released from prison in the early 2000s, only to be co-opted by the Italian Secret Service to help apprehend the last Cosa Nostra boss still at large, Matteo Messina Denaro (Elio Germano). Catello is the perfect patsy. He was a good friend of Denaro's father, Don Gaetano, who made Catello the Godfather to young Matteo. I should mention this is based loosely on the life of Denaro, though it's at pains to acknowledge that much of this story is fabricated (a title card reads "Loosely inspired by real events, though the film's characters are the fruits of the authors' imagination.") In this chunk of Denaro's life on the run, Catello is tasked with writing letters to the fugitive, via a bespoke butcher-based post office. Initially, Denaro is moved by Catello's prose a...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

A few years ago, we hit the S.S.P. (Superhero Saturation Point). And the best way for studios to arrest, or even maybe reverse, the law of diminishing returns is to JUST GIVE IT A FUCKING REST. There's enough residual goodwill in the fan base to guarantee profits....for now. But, as Malcolm Gladwell said, there must be a tipping point. So into this cinematic avalanche slips The Fantastic Four: First Steps , the first film of Phase Six and the thirty seventh overall! It's quite dull for the first 30 minutes, setting up the characters, ensuring the audience understands we're on a slightly different Earth (828), and a different time as well. It only gets going when the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) appears and promises everyone death by devouring. She's not going to eat them, she works for a massive space turd called Galactus, played by Finchy himself, Ralph Ineson. He'll do the devouring. Here's the thing - this film is a perfectly serviceable entry, not brilliant,...
Post a Comment
Read more

One Battle After Another

Before this film, Paul Thomas Anderson had at least one certifiable classic on his CV in There Will Be Blood . Now, make that two. In saying this, most of his films range from good to brilliant. This is his second adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel (after the uneven but interesting Inherent Vice ) and it looks at the lives of modern American revolutionaries, notably members of French 75. The group are apparently named after a WWI weapon, and then a cocktail, both of which have something of a kick.  Leonardo DiCaprio plays Bob, The Rocket Man, who makes the ordnance for the group and is in a relationship with fellow revolutionary, Perfidia (Teyana Taylor). A combination of a run-in with Sean Penn's Colonel Steven Lockjaw, and a rash killing of a security guard triggers more interest in the group, and so a roundup begins. Perfidia is caught, then forced to name names before doing a runner. But not before she has a daughter with Bob, whom he is left to raise on the run. After this f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Revelation Film Festival 2025 - Wrap Up

That's it for Rev this year and I can't help feeling I've missed something... Eight films isn't a bad effort but there were a few that I hope I can catch somewhere later. Anyway, here are the films I saw this year, in calendar order of viewing. First up was: U are the Universe   ★ ★ ★ ½ Ambitious Ukrainian film by Pavel Ostrikov about the last person in the universe after an earth-destroying disaster. Andriy (Volodymyr Kravchuk) is running nuclear waste to Callico, a moon of Jupiter, when he gets the news. His fastidious on-board robot Maxim is his only companion until he gets a message from near Saturn.  There are some lovely moments - 2001 music reveals a replacement office chair floating through space, the Open Me message, the sinister link to 2001 (set up earlier by the music), the tenderness of the burgeoning audio relationship - all leading to a sweet but realistically depressing conclusion. Wonderful pared down, yet grand filmmaking. Of Caravan and the Dogs   ★...
Post a Comment
Read more

Friendship

Amazingly, this is a first feature from writer/director Andrew DeYoung, though he's had heaps of experience in TV and shorts. The pace is pretty tight, albeit it's a bit longer than the 'ideal' of 90 minutes for a comedy. This is a bittersweet story about stupid masculinity, loneliness, and performative societal posturing, but it certainly doesn't scrimp on the laughs. Friendship focusses on Craig (pronounced in that annoyingly American way to rhyme with Greg) (Tim Robinson), who sits right in the middle of the Larry David / David Brent / Alan Partridge Venn diagram. He's a totally oblivious tosser, but not in a mean way, he just doesn't know where the line is. Ultimately, he's lonely. He has succeeded in alienating his wife, who has recently beaten cancer, his son appears to tolerate him, but not in an eye-rolling way, and his work colleagues think he's a bit of a dick. Doesn't matter that they are also knobheads. His life takes a turn when a n...
Post a Comment
Read more