My 10 Favorite Films of 2021

2021 was another strange and challenging year for the big screen. We saw a slow rollout of film's delayed from 2020 with mixed results.  

Comic book film still rule the box office roost for the most part and helped soften the hit from some big name projects that just couldn't gain any traction.  

Ultimately, I reviewed 76 films this year with some surprises and letdowns along the way.  This top ten reflects my favorite films which may or may not be reflective of my original grade.  

Some of these films stuck in my mind long after I'd seen them while others left an immediate impression.  

So without further adieu, here are my ten favorite films of 2021 in no particular order.  

Saint Maud 

Rose Glass' debut film is an efficient and affecting slow burn of a psychological horror film.  It all hinges on a haunting performance from Morfydd Clark which culminates with a final act that will leave you shaken.

The Night House 

Rebecca Hall is the type of performer that's capable of delivering stellar turns when she's given the right material (See 2016's Christine).  The Night House is a meditation on grief and loss in the guise of a horror film.  Hall elevates the film with her singular turn as the widowed wife.

Nightmare Alley 

Guillermo del Toro's remake of Nightmare Alley is lavish but dense film which is no rush to get anywhere quickly.  Anyone with a short attention span is likely to hate it but those that stick with it will find a beautifully macabre morality tale.  Del Toro's style radiates through each meticulously constructed scene.  Bradley Cooper plays against type with great effect but Cate Blanchett own the back half of the film.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

This film is a prime example of performances being better than the actual film.  Jessica Chastain has gotten a lot of buzz for her turn and it's justified but Andrew Garfield is just as good. They make this paint by the numbers biopic far more watchable than it deserves to be.

Belfast

Kenneth Branagh puts down Poirot's mustache to deliver a personal, moving and heartwarming film.  Regardless of where you grew up there are universal themes that come through the film's narrative making it an uplifting experience.

Last Night in Soho

Edgar Wright's latest film is a dazzling technical marvel especially in its stellar first half.   Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin Mckenzie both deliver engaging performances in this kaleidoscope of a film which takes you on a journey and features the late Diana Rigg's cinematic swan song.

The Tragedy of Macbeth 

Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth is a striking minimalist adaptation of Shakespeare's legendary play.  The visuals leave a lasting impression with their stark staging which linger in your memory long afterward.  Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand provide one of the best Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in recent memory.  

The Last Duel

Ridley Scott's The Last Duel is a period piece with some heavy subject matter.  Scott delivers a well constructed adult drama utilizing a Rashômon approach to the events in question.  Its a difficult watch in parts but the film is populated with excellent actors (excuse Affleck's boyband hair) delivering engaging performances about a timely subject matter.  

The Suicide Squad

Apologizes to Spider-Man: Far from Home but James Gunn's gonzo The Suicide Squad was far and away the most fun I had with a comic book movie this year.  It's vulgar, over the top but also has enough heart  (and daddy issues) to make you care about the characters.  The set pieces are great fun but nothing tops Harley's compound escape with poetic mayhem.

Cruella

I'd be lying if I said I went into Disney's latest live action redo with any sort of expectation.  Most have been so-so money grabs but at least Cruella had Emma Stone who typically make most things better.  The biggest surprise here wasn't that she was great but that the film itself was worlds better than it deserved to be.  Its an edgy mash up of Tim Burton's sensibility with Lady Gaga's fashion sense, kudos to Disney for letting them make this film.  

Honorable Mentions

Dune 

My main take away from David Lynch's 1984 Dune was a floating fat man.  Needless to say I didn't have any deep affinity or affection for Dune onscreen or as a book.  Denis Villeneuve's new take was visually arresting and engaging even though it hit on plenty of origin story beats.  There's a geeky joy watching a sci-fi story treated with such reverence and care.

Titane

Some films work to subtly unleash hints of insanity before unleashing it full bore onto the audience.  Julia Ducournau's Titane doesn't bother with any pretense and lets its freak flag fly in the first ten minutes of its runtime.  You're either all in or out of business with it midway through the first act.  The story goes is unexpected, bizarre directions occasionally recalling some of Cronenberg's early work.  Regardless of what you think of the film as a whole, you aren't going to forget it for a longtime.  

Lamb 

A24 continue it's string of delivering some of most interesting "horror" films in recent memory.  Lamb doesn't play like a straight up horror film instead it feels more like a long forgotten folktale anchored by a fantastic turn from a fully committed Noomi Rapace.

West Side Story

This remake from Steven Spielberg has no reason being as good as it is.  Spielberg pulls off an impressive bit of cinematic alchemy by making a classic musical fresh with minor tweaks, amazing dance numbers and memorable performances.  Hopefully more audiences will take the time to see this film and truly appreciate what Spielberg pulled off.

Werewolves Within

Who would have thought a good videogame adaptation would have popped up without any fuzz or fanfare.  Loosely based on the game of the same name, Werewolves Within takes 1985's Clue premise and adds in a tad bit more gore and fangs.  Excellent performances from the ensemble is sure to make this a cult classic in the years to come.   

Special Mention 

Zack's Snyder's Justice League 

It's the film that should have come out in 2017 and it only saw the light of day because of dedicated fans.  Snyder's DC opus does everything right that the theatrical cut got wrong.  Snyder's cut is beefy and surprisingly character centric which gives the film heart that was sorely from the theatrical cut which was cobbled together like a cinematic Frankenstein.

MOVIE REVIEW: THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

 

A Scottish lord becomes convinced by a trio of witches that he will become the next King of Scotland. His ambitious wife will do anything to support him in his plans of seizing power.

Director: Joel Coen

Cast: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Brendan Gleeson

Release Date: December 25, 2021

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Rated R for violence

Runtime: 1h 45m

Review:

Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth is a fascinating amalgam of stage minimalism and cinematic grandeur.  The resulting concoction echo's Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal and Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood itself an adaption of Macbeth.  It's visually arresting and engaging from it's opening frame.  Stage actress Kathryn Hunter eerie turn as the witches gives the film an air of urgency and kinetic energy and she contorts unnaturally in her introduction.  The familiar but dense Shakespearean dialogue is performed with emotional precision from it's stellar cast.  Denzel Washington's older Macbeth hits all the right notes especially as the film progresses and his character's mental state declines into madness.  Frances McDormand is just as strong as his calculating Lady Macbeth.  They both deliver lines in such a naturalistic fashion that it's easy to get lost in their individual performances, when the pair share a scene their energy burns through the screen.  Supporting turns from Alex Hassell as Ross and Corey Hawkins as Macduff leave the biggest impact outside of the central duo.  The Tragedy of Macbeth is a visually striking, narratively efficient adaptation that's sure to leave an impression for years to come. 

A

Cindy Prascik's Holiday Wrap-up Part II: The Christmas Ball, A Boy Called Christmas & Father Christmas is Back

My dear reader(s), as promised, in part two of my holiday viewing wrapup, we will take a look at some seasonal offerings. Expectations for this sort of movie aren't necessarily the same as other movies, so I shall make every effort to distinguish between seasonal frivolity and avoidable stupidity.

Since Christmas films are so often cut from the same cloth, I'm not sure it's possible to spoil much here, but I'll do my best to keep it generic.

First on my holiday agenda: The Christmas Ball.

Following a disappointing development on the job front, a Boston ballerina agrees to spend Christmas in England with her favorite aunt.

Anyone who knows me in real life, and probably anyone who's ever read a word I've written here, will know I avoid romance like the plague. However, when a holiday romance features one, two, three, FOUR people who have been on Midsomer Murders, including the reigning DS, well, my hand has been forced.

The Christmas Ball is a by-the-numbers holiday romance, complete with independent woman not looking for love, handsome stranger ripe for the picking, and even a perfectly festive castle. The movie ticks along entirely as expected, silly but inoffensive, but a couple things got under my skin: First, the main character has to be early- to mid-40s if she's a day. While I'm sure somewhere there's a ballerina still dancing lead at that age, I'd guess it's not the norm. She also parks on the couch with a handy tin of shortbread cookies, which also seems unrealistic for a professional dancer. As innocently dumb as the rest is, that kind of lazy stupidity is frustrating.  Still, Nick Hendrix is so handsome and charming it's easy to forgive the rest, it's always lovely to see Caroline Langrishe and Richard Lintern, and the castle setting is stunning.

The Christmas Ball runs a quick 90 minutes and is rated PG13.

The Christmas Ball is a benign bit of holiday cheer that might cost you a few brain cells, but the appealing cast makes it watchable. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Christmas Ball gets four.

The Christmas Ball premiered Christmas Eve on Lifetime, and is now available via Lifetime On Demand.

Next up: A Boy Called Christmas.

A Father Christmas origins story.

A Boy Called Christmas boasts a delightful cast, including youngster Henry Lawfull (fantastic as the titular boy), Joel Fry, Michiel Huisman, Jim Broadbent, Stephen Merchant, Toby Jones, Sally Hawkins, and the always wonderful Maggie Smith. Sets, costumes, and music are simply magical, and well suited to a tale that, like the holiday itself, is special even when it's not precisely joyful. The picture is set (and partially filmed) in stunning Finnish Lapland, and there's even a little twist that I didn't see coming. A social/political message is sometimes inelegantly delivered, but A Boy Called Christmas is so charming you probably won't mind.

A Boy Called Christmas clocks in at 106 minutes and is rated PG for "peril, action, and thematic elements."

A Boy Called Christmas is a sweet holiday tale that's suitable for the whole family. Of a possible nine Weasleys, a Boy Called Christmas gets eight.

A Boy Called Christmas is now streaming on Netflix.

My final (I think) bit of holiday fare for this season was Father Christmas is Back.

Four warring sisters reluctantly reunite for Christmas, and find the holiday full of surprises.

I was drawn to Father Christmas is Back by yet another cast full of my British mystery favorites. I'll not soon forgive them for it.

Father Christmas is Back is predictable, but not in the harmless way of The Christmas Ball. It's brash and offensive and lacks even the tiniest bit of genuine holiday cheer. The four sisters range from irritating to downright grotesque, and most of the characters in their orbit are equally awful. Kris Marshall, Caroline Quentin, and Ray Fearon provide some tolerable respite, but they are very much on the periphery. The story holds no surprises, and its familiar turns are annoying rather than comfortable. I struggle to imagine how Kelsey Grammer's agent talked him into this one, truly. One character's obsession with the Beatles at least gave me something to look forward to, since the Fab Four's names came up a number of times, but honestly the only thing I really got out of this one was annoyance with myself for wasting the time. 

Father Christmas is Back runs 105 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sexually suggestive material and some language."

Father Christmas is Back will make you wish you'd stayed away. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Father Christmas is Back gets two.

Father Christmas is Back is now streaming on Netflix.

My dear reader(s), I hope you all have found peace and joy in these December holidays, and that 2022 will be a happier and calmer year for us all.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Holiday Wrap-up Part I: The Matrix Resurrections & The Power of the Dog

 

My dear reader(s), following another lengthy absence, I've managed to squeeze a few movie screenings into my holiday break. Here in part one, I shall tackle a couple non-seasonal films: The Matrix Resurrections and The Power of the Dog. In part two, we'll have a peek at some Christmas offerings.

Spoiler level will be mild, nothing you won't have learned from trailers and advertisements.

First on my agenda: The Matrix Resurrections. 

New and familiar faces fight for reality...but what is the real reality?

It's fair to say science fiction and I are taking a break. We definitely don't love each other like we used to, and I'm not sure we ever will again. I elected to give the Matrix Resurrections a try anyway, based on: a.) my love of Keanu Reeves, and b.) being able to watch without leaving the house. If it's not as bad as I thought it was, I'm pretty sure it's not good, either.

Keanu has made a career of locking into roles ideally suited to his acting style. That's a backhanded compliment, but know I offer it with great affection. Carrie-Anne Moss is an inspiration, an action hero a mere year younger than I am. (Note: That's "old" in most people's books!) Despite my aversion to anything with the stink of Glee on it, Jonathan Groff is a pleasant surprise. Always. In everything. Effects are about 50/50, decent and comically bad. Callbacks to previous installments might be entertaining if this one didn't insist on pointing out each one so explicitly. Action is repetitive and gets old quickly, and — at nearly two and a half hours — the picture is extremely bloated. Anymore I'm never sure if social and political undertones are really present, or if I just see them everywhere because I so desperately want to avoid them for a hot minute, but I found them here...and I was well and truly bored before the halfway point.

The Matrix Resurrections clocks in at a whopping 148 minutes, and is rated R for "violence and some language."

If you're deeply invested in the Matrix series, you'll probably love the Matrix Resurrections; otherwise, you can give it a pass and rest assured you won't miss it. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Matrix Resurrections gets three.

The Matrix Resurrections is currently playing in cinemas worldwide, and streaming on HBO Max through January 21.

Fangirl points: Freema Agyeman!

Next on the docket: The Power of the Dog.

Exploring the contentious relationships among a contrary cowboy, his more agreeable brother, and the brother's wife and son.

The Power of the Dog is a deliberately-paced western that's in no real hurry to get anywhere. Benedict Cumberbatch carries the film with a mighty turn that may well win him his first Academy Award. Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee are all terrific in support. Dusty western settings and a gloomy score reinforce the movie's uneasy atmosphere. The film tells an interesting enough tale, but I can't say it's one I'm glad I watched. Oh, and if you're an animal lover, maybe take a pass. Too many ugly moments to get past in that regard.

The Power of the Dog runs 126 minutes and is rated R for "brief sexual content and full nudity."

The Power of the Dog is a miserable little film, but worth checking out for some exceptional performances. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Power of the Dog gets five.

The Power of the Dog is now streaming on Netflix.

Fangirl points: Keith Carradine!

Stay tuned for some cinematic Christmas cheer!!

MOVIE REVIEW: LICORICE PIZZA

 

Alana Kane and Gary Valentine grow up, run around and fall in love in California's San Fernando Valley in the 1970s.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie

Release Date: November 26, 2021

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Rated R for language, sexual material and some drug use.

Runtime: 2h 13m

Review:

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza is the type of film where the plot is secondary as it focused more on capturing a time period’s feel and essence.   While the film is very much set in the 70’s it does manage to capture something timeless about the random adolescent adventures that nearly everyone experienced growing up.  The central romance of the film is rather chaste onscreen but still a bizarre choice since it’s made explicit multiple times that Cooper Hoffman’s Gary Valentine is underage as he pursues Alana Haim’s 25-year-old Alana Kane.  It’s a distracting choice that detracts from the two linchpin performances from Haim and Hoffman who both bring an unmistakable on-screen charisma and chemistry to their role.  Both actors deliver nuanced turns that are never showy or over the top but ultimately serve as the heart of the film as we follow their series of adventures in San Fernando Valley.  They are fascinating to watch together onscreen because they both carrying an air of authenticity.  Hoffman captures the character’s hustler mentally while Haim does equally impressive work portraying her character’s state of arrested development as she tries to find her place in the world.  Famous faces pop up in small supporting turns with Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper each having a ball in their limited screen time.  Anyone unfamiliar with Paul Thomas Anderson’s style might not like the pacing which isn’t in any rush to get anywhere even if the two central characters run quite a bit throughout.  Licorice Pizza will connect with some people more than others depending on personal experiences but there is something universal about the moments it captures. 

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: SING 2

 

Can-do koala Buster Moon and his all-star cast of animal performers prepare to launch a dazzling stage extravaganza in the glittering entertainment capital of the world. There's just one hitch -- he has to find and persuade the world's most reclusive rock star to join them. What begins as Buster's dream of big-time success soon becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.

Director: Garth Jennings

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Jennings, Peter Serafinowicz, Jennifer Saunders, Nick Offerman, Bobby Cannavale, Pharrell Williams, Halsey, Chelsea Peretti, Letitia Wright, Eric André, Adam Buxton, Bono

Release Date: December 22, 2021

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Musical

Rated PG for some rude material and mild peril/violence

Runtime: 1h 50m

Review:

Garth Jennings's Sing 2 is a fun breezy family film that's easy to enjoy.  Sing 2 doesn't break any new ground or really dig deep into any big themes so it's not quite as impactful as some of Pixar's films.  It understands what it is and provides a fizzy, colorful jukebox musical that's always fun and entertaining regardless of how old you are.  Matthew McConaughey leads the film as the go getter koala Buster Moon.  Much like in the original, you get the feeling that McConaughey really enjoys voicing this character because he disappears into the role so much so that you occasionally forget it's him behind the microphone.  Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton and Tori Kelly all return with each getting a chance to show off their impressive singing voices.  Newcomers Bobby Cannavale, Chelsea Peretti and Halsey are all great fun with the latter clearly having a great time.  Bono who plays the reclusive rock star lion is far better than expected in his limited role.  Sing 2 is an easily digestible family film that works well as mindless entertainment for kids and parents alike.

B+